Jennifer Garner Shares Honest Relationship Advice Post-Divorce From Ben Affleck

Jennifer Garner took the time to weigh in on her past marriage experiences and appeared to take a swipe at her ex-husband, Ben Affleck.

An actress learned a valuable lesson from her marriage, which ended in 2018 after 13 years together. She emphasized the importance of not trying to change a man when entering into a marriage.

For Thanksgiving, Jennifer Garner reunited with Ben Affleck to share food for 2,000 homeless and near-homeless people in downtown Los Angeles.

Garner recently appeared on the “Lipstick on the Rim” podcast, where she opened up about her experiences from her two previous marriages.

Reported by the Daily Mail, the actress from “13 Going On 30” appeared to reference her former husbands, Ben Affleck (married from 2005-2018) and Scott Foley (married from 2000-2004) in her insight.

When asked about her “favorite quote or mantra,” Garner shared wisdom passed down from her mother, Pat Garner, advising to never marry with the intention of changing a man.

She noted that the sayings “all come from Mrs. Ingalls from ‘Little House on the Prairie’ or ‘Anne of Green Gables’ or all of the above.”

Garner also revealed two of her other favorite sayings: “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes in the morning” and “Happiness is your own responsibility.”

Garner and Affleck first met on the set of the movie “Pearl Harbor” in 2000 and went on to tie the knot in 2005.

The ex-couple, who finalized their divorce in 2018, share three children: Violet Anne, Seraphina Rose [Fin], and Samuel.

Despite their separation, Garner and Affleck are doing great co-parenting as the “Argo” actor is often seen spending time with the actress and their children.

All five of them recently teamed up to attend a Thanksgiving charity event in L.A. where they volunteered and served free meals to the homeless community as they attended homeless shelter The Midnight Mission’s annual Thanksgiving Street Fair.

A source told People Magazine that the former couple “truly enjoy giving back to their community and cherishing quality time together as a family.”

After spending the day helping out with charity, Affleck joined his ex-wife and kids for a cozy dinner hosted at Garner’s Brentwood, California, home.

According to Page Six, the “Accountant 2” actor was photographed walking to the gathering in a cream-colored button-down layered over a white undershirt, paired with blue jeans and two-toned high-top sneakers.

A source told the news outlet that despite the fact they’ve been divorced for a while, the 52-year-old Oscar winner is quite comfortable around Garner and feels “blessed” to be “himself” again after going through a “nasty” divorce from his wife, Jennifer Lopez.

“Even though Ben and Jen have been split for a while now, he feels a certain level of comfort with her,” the source shared.

“Ben has a strong relationship with Jen that will never dissipate because they have a lot of history together and she’s the mother of his kids,” the source added, going on to point out that this isn’t the first time the exes have spent Thanksgiving together.

“They’ll always be close because they share children together,” they explained.

Rumors about a potential reunion between Affleck and Garner recently went viral, as many think they’ll make up and possibly get back together.

However, Garner has since moved on from him and was pictured holding hands while taking a casual stroll around the Brentwood Park neighborhood of Los Angeles last month.

According to the Daily Mail, Miller had to deal with Garner acting as a “marriage counselor” and “mediator” for Affleck and Lopez before the couple’s divorce.

“John doesn’t like sharing Jen, and there is a divide when it comes to her and Ben,” a source shared. “He wishes it wasn’t like that because he understands they are a family, but it gets to him like it would anyone.”

“John doesn’t have any fears that they are getting back together — but it has been tough coping with her support for Ben during his split from J.Lo,” they added at the time.

According to the Daily Mail, Affleck is set to date again; however, an insider noted that the fallout from his divorce from Lopez has made him realize how important it is for him not to jeopardize his “sobriety.”

“Ben has not given up on relationships and finally feels ready to move forward and start dating again,” a source told the news outlet. “He is not going to jump into anything serious until the divorce is finalized, but that does not mean he cannot date.”

The source continued, “He only wants to date someone who is sober or in recovery. These past two years have been tough for Ben, and as he begins to heal, one thing is very clear: his recovery comes before anything. He is not going to put his sobriety in jeopardy.”

Amid early rumors of his and Lopez’s marital woes, reports claimed that friends of Affleck were worried he might relapse and start drinking again due to the media’s focus on their romance.