Jennifer Garner was interviewed in Britian’s Telegraph to promote the UK release of The Odd Life of Timothy Green, which is out there on Friday. (I lived in Europe for a while and it’s maddening how long it takes movies to premiere.) It’s a nice, long interview and profile, which is what the British press excels at. The interviewer must have had a good rapport with Garner, or maybe she was just ready to spill her guts, because she seemed to open up about a lot of things: the paparazzi, her husband’s controversial Oscar speech, and how it feels to be a celebrity.
Note that some of the interview is translated into “Brit speak,” they have her say “mum” instead of “mom” and some of it is phrased in a distinctly British way that makes it sound made up. It’s clear that she met with their reporter at least, and it’s possible that some of her quotes were switched around for their audience. Here’s more:
On the paparazzi
“Seven cars followed me when I left home at seven o’clock this morning. I wish I could say that it doesn’t bother me. But you wouldn’t like it if you had it, and neither would anyone else. They sit outside my house every day. They wait for me at school drop-off and pick-up.”“This is almost worse [than having a stalker]. They stalk you on a much more regular basis.”
“[If she escapes the photographers] Somebody always calls them and tips them off. They give random people their numbers; nannies in the park.”
On her husband’s Oscar speech
“I had a friend call and say, ‘Are you OK?’ I know Ben, I knew he meant it as the hugest, warmest compliment in the world. I think he was saying, ‘Look, what we have is really real and I value it above all and I’m in it with you and I know you are in it with me.’ That’s the way I took it.”On the fallout Ben faced after that speech
“Poor guy. It’s so horrible to put yourself out there – he didn’t have to worry about it from my point of view.”On balancing career and motherhood
“I definitely work less because Ben is so busy but we have three kids, that’s just part of the deal. I want to be a mum. I’m happy for him that he’s as energised about work right now as he is. He should be out there doing it.“That’s just what makes sense for our family.”
On becoming a mom
“I really thought when I was pregnant with my first that it wouldn’t affect my work at all, it would just be a baby that grows up on set.“And I was absolutely wrong. For women, the high point of their career and needing to have babies just don’t really go together.”
On celebrity culture
“Why does everyone think they need to be a star? It’s ridiculous. The celebrity culture is so silly and the fact that people grow up thinking that it’s something to aspire to just seems wrong”“I don’t mean to bash my life, I love my life, I just think it’s not the only way to go. Why don’t we celebrate teachers and doctors – people who actually do something?”
There was a lot more in the interview, particularly about Garner’s career. I know a lot of people accuse her, and her husband especially, of playing the paparazzi when they have something to promote. I do think that they do that, but I don’t think they can control how much they’re followed by photographers. I remember seeing video from years ago of them absolutely swarmed by paparazzi outside their oldest daughter’s school, and it was clear to me they were being harassed. I think Garner works hard to play along and smile because she considers it part of her job. In a way, she made the situation worse by being so congenial to photographers and by becoming such an in-demand celebrity mom. It’s only benefited her public image, and she surely knows that and struggles with it. She’s not bitching about the paparazzi constantly either, she’ll tell you about it once in a while but she doesn’t make it a point like Halle Berry does, and unlike her husband you never see her scowling or arguing with the paps.
As for her response to the Oscar speech, I do think that she was wounded a little by what Ben said. You could see the look of shock and surprise flash over her face momentarily before she got it together and smiled. She’s not going to say that, though, just like she’s not going to fight with the paparazzi or frown when she’s having a bad day. That’s the kind of person she is. She has a charmed life, she knows it, and she’s more than happy to play the game.
Thanks to invisiblename on Twitter for the tip! These photos are of Garner dropping Violet off at daycare yesterday and of her out with her three kids on Saturday. Credit: FameFlynet
I don’t understand why people have an issue with what he said. It’s pretty obvious that in like 2009/2010 they hit a rough patch but worked through it and have seemed genuinely happy for like the past 3 years. I think he was thanking her for working on their marriage instead of giving up when the going got tough. Maybe if more couples worked on their marriages when they hit rough patches the divorce rate wouldn’t be so high.
I think for a lot of us, we totally “got” what Ben meant. Marriage is work, and I admire him for admitting that, and I think it shows the commitment they have to each other. You work for it because you value it.
Now whether he chose the most appropriate venue for that remark is up to speculation, I suppose.
Agreed. It’s an admirable sentiment, and very true. From the outside, it certainly seemed as if she held their marriage together when it was about to fall apart, and he should be grateful to her for that.
However, that’s not the sentiment that most people expect/want to hear from the stage at the Dolby Theatre. “Thank you for working so hard on our marriage, which is hard work” doesn’t really jive with an Oscar acceptance speech in the way that “Thank you for your unwavering support and love” might…
I agree marriage is work and I by no means think he meant it in a negative way
I don’t understand why people say marriage is work – I’ve been married for several decades and not a minute of it was “work.”
@faun says: “I don’t understand why people say marriage is work – I’ve been married for several decades and not a minute of it was “work.”
Really, not even one minute? LOL All righty then.
My future in-laws have been married for over 50 years and my future mom-in-law said that it was work. Hard work. But it was the best work ever because she got to do it every day with the man she loved.
@jayna, shhh, you’re spoiling another opportunity for us to brag about our effortlessly perfect marriages.
+1
Im with you Koda. Marriage is strong in these two.
(Loved saying that!!)
I really thought he was saying “I know being married to me is work, but I’m glad you’re sticking with me.” It just didn’t come out that way because he was drunk on joy or something. I wish the paparazzi would leave them alone, I don’t want to see pics of parents picking their kids up from school.
YES!!! Nothing wrong with what he said!
I think he was saying “work on” in the context of thanking all the people he worked with for the movie and he was just continuing that on to say he works with his wife in their marriage. I think it was cute, I don’t think she was hurt at all because she was there, the context is clear. As for marriage being work, i’m not married but have been with my partner for 7 years. We have been through everything together and it has been hard sometimes. I have had moments where I thought it would be easier if I just walked away but working through things is so much more rewarding. Life is hard, why shouldn’t relationships or other things be hard sometimes. Good for them that they make it work. 🙂
If they wanted to avoid the paparazzi, they would so it’s funny to me when some celebrities complain about it.
A prime example of this is how I don’t even know what Johnny Depp’s kids look like. The celebrity that wants to keep their kids away from the eye of Hollywood and out of the papers will find a way to do it.
Seriously. This family is photographed more than any celebrity in Hollywood and no one ever calls them out on it. I don’t buy that she doesn’t use the paparazzi for publicity.
And Johnny Depp’s family is the perfect example. They even live in Hollywood now and are still rarely photographed.
ITA. I think they use the paparazzi and a lot of these pics are set up. During the Oscar campaign season, Ben was always photographed with his kids. It seems so transparent.
Actually people call them out on it on this site every time they are photographed.
I hear you but the Affleck/Garner family lives in LA and I think Johnny Depp and his family lived mostly in Europe, if I’m not mistaken. So it was probably a lot easier to avoid the paps in a lower-profile hometown.
Johnny and his family left France and have been living in LA full time for a few years now.
They don’t use the paparazzi because they don’t need to. They have more fame than they know what to do with. She’s not phoning them up and saying oh I’m going to be picking Violet up from school…come and take some pictures. Not happening, not ever.
I can’t imagine living in a fishbowl like that. The only way to at least partially avoid it is to move out of Dodge and they don’t want to do that. So they have to grin and bear it.
The laws in Europe are VERY different than here. In France it is illegal to photograph a child.
In the US, they can pretty much stalk a child.
I think that is one reason the Depp kids are not photographed often- they live in France a majority of the time.
Their mother is French so living their is a viable option. Commuting to work from France is not an option for many working actors such as the Afflecks (who are both American).
And Depp’s kids now live in California. Interesting right? Also have you noticed that unless its publicity we actually don’t see that much of Will Smith’s kids. Not candids anyway. It’s interesting.
Excellent points.
If the paparazzi is lined up outside your house and follow you when you leave, its kind of hard to avoid them. And don’t Johnny Depp’s kids live in France or some other country? Not every celebrity wants to live in Europe. Did you know when Violet was in preschool Ben and Jen tried going to court to get the paparazzi from going to her preschool and they were turned away because its the paparazzis legal right so they had to switch preschools because no matter what door they used the paparazzi were there every day and causing problems with the other parents and children.
If the paparazzi were lined up outside of my house, following me and my kids everywhere and I didn’t want to have to deal with them, I would move. It’s really that simple. The celebrity that wants to remain low-key and out of the public eye will do it. It’s not hard.
@helvetica “What a fool believes, a wise man cannot reason away.” – Michael McDonald
Getting out of LA isn’t always an option even for celebs and it is certainly not simple- family logistics of relocation are tough on kids. Raising a family is HARD.
If all of your work is in LA and you move your family to another place..YET still have to work in LA. You aren’t going to see your family that much. Which is bad for your kids and your marriage. So what do you do then?
I know many non-famous people who work in the business successfully and they would love to move out of LA for other reasons..but don’t want to split up the family (some even move their families with them to locations- taking kids out of school etc–is that good for the kids?). So they stick it out and try to make the best of it. But they aren’t papped/stalked and judged by strangers either.
So this is a no-win for them, imo.
Bingo.
There are many many examples of high profile celebrities whose family lives are on the down-low. Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg, Warren Beatty/Annette Bening, Kelly Ripa, even Julia Roberts – just to name a few. I wouldn’t recognize any of their kids – and all of those folks had big careers while raising large families.
It can be done.
And I say this as an Affleck/Garner clan fan. I think they have made a bit of a deal as a family. We accept and often encourage the paps in exchange for fame and fortune.
Meryl Streep lives in Connecticut. Kelly Ripa in NY. Far different.
Julia Roberts lives mostly in New Mexico
The Afflecks also don’t “have” to live in LA, for what it’s worth.
In this business you go where the work is- that is a fact. Living in LA is part of the bargain for many. Should they split the family up?
Moving your family is not simple- no matter what work you do..particulary when options for work are based in a very few spots. And if you are in the film/TV production/writing/directing business- if you aren’t in LA or NYC, it’s very hard.
The celeb site/magazine business is demand driven- don’t you wonder why the same celebs show up on EVERY one of these types of sites??
They get the clicks. The paps follow those who sell- whether they want to or not.
Agreed. I saw no problem at all with what he said. I viewed it as a complement. People seem to have a hate-on for Garner and want to see her embarrassed.
Her husband embarrasses her more than any of us could ever. Do you really think he’s faithful? It’s only a matter of time before he gets caught cheating.
Personally, I like Garner. She seems like a genuinely nice person.
Yes. You don’t see a great deal of pics of Depp’s kids, but I think that is due to a couple of factors.
1. Johnny’s kids were born before the great public/pap interest in celeb kids. Before, if a child’s pic was taken that was because the pap was really going after the famous parent and the child happened to be there. Or if a actor releases pics of their child it was a one off thing to appease their fans and everyone kind of moved on after that. The Affleck’s first child was born around the time when TomKat and Brangelina were going to have their first bio kids. This caused the public to collectively lose their minds and hunger for any shot of those pregnancies and subsequent children. The tabloids and paps realized they could make a killing taking pictures of/making up stories about celebrities baby pics because of these events. So, pretty much any celeb child born during or after that time has felt the effect of the celeb baby/mom boom. This is why I think it is unfair to compare celeb parents whose kids were born before this time to parents with kids born after because in the past there wasn’t such a crazy demand for pic of the kids.
2.The mother of Johnny’s kids isn’t that famous in the US. Sure Vanessa is famous in a lot of other place, but America isn’t really one of them. I believe a lot of interest in a celeb child has to do with the level of their mother’s celebrity. Even though Jennifer isn’t A-list, she still more well known to the American public than Vanessa. Plus even when asked, Vanessa tries to stir the questions in interviews away from the subject of her kids, whereas Jennifer seems more obliging and gives more tidbits for the public to become more attached and familiar with her kids.
3. Johnny’s kids are out of the little kid/baby stage. I’ve notice that the paps don’t seem to follow older celeb kids as much as the little ones.
Pimping your kids for you own publicity is not a new thing. Even in the old days certain HW sirens would do it, some wouldn’t. Same thing today, certain huge celebs know how to keep their life and family away from paps. Nobody can tell me celebs who want to stay private don’t know how to behave to avoid the paps. If you are papd 3 times a week for years with your kids you are either dumb, ignorant or you are OK with it.
There was plenty of crazy for star’s kids before the internet boom.
But if you MUST compare current stars, whose kids do you see as much as Garner’s? Not even the famous famous famous Jolie-Pitt gang.
@ Suze The Jolie-Pitts are not living in the US most of the time.
Garner and Affleck court the press. That’s the reason that you get a steady diet of their kids in tabloids.
You don’t see Reese Witherspoon’s kids all over. You don’t see Julia Robert’s kids. You don’t see daily photos of Coco Cox. Where is the daily photo of Drew Barrymore pushing a pram?
Discretion. It can be done. Even in LA.
Am I the only person here who knows perfectly well what the Depp’s kids look like? And @Suze, Reese Witherspoon’s and Coco Cox are papped at least once a week. True, J.Roberts’kids are more unusual (but I still know what they look like!).
Johnny moved to France when he had kids.They have laws that protect children from paparazzi shots. And his wife is a star in France, but not so much in the States. Do they really all live in L.A. full time now, or just Johnny?
I think the Garner-Affleck’s live in Brentwood, which is about the worst place for celebrities to hide. It’s convenient and the more exclusive areas have a nice neighbourhood feel and sprawling estates, but I don’t get the appeal. I’d hole up in the hills of Hollywood or Malibu myself. Even locations like Bel Air and Pacific Palisades would give them more privacy.
I’ve seen plenty of shots of Reese with her kids over the years. She’s not currently married to a celebrity, but there has still been many shots of them. I think they live in Brentwood as well. Drew isn’t making school runs yet, and I bet she lives in a more secluded area.
If its true that Matt Damon lives in Brentwood down the same street than Affleck and Garner it is very strange that he is not papd daily with his kids.
Agree with Witherspoon being papd regularly, very often with her kids. Same thing with Holmes. Some celebs actively engage with the paparazzi, some don’t. RDJ lives in LA, but you hardly see him with his kids and he is definitely a huge star.
I think you can have the paps removed from parking in front of your house by the police if you don’t want to be photographed constantly.
Some celebs make a living out of acting and giving great performances some are just tabloid celebs. Its usually the talented ones who are not engaging in a tabloid friendly way.
I think that Jennifer Garner has sustained a high level of fame because she became very, very popular once she popped out those cute kids. In my mind, she was one of the first to ride the great “mommy-wave” in Hollywood- lots of actors/celebs had kids, but the new thing of suddenly knowing the names/faces/haircuts/fashion preferences of the kids seemed to happen within the last 10 years or so.
Lots of celebs have children and live outside the eye of the paparazzi- it’s harder to do when both parents are famous, and it is MUCH harder to do when you live in LA. But it is possible. And if you are willing to live outside of LA (and NYC) you can live a pretty “regular” life.
But then, your fame will be based ONLY on your acting career, and not on the ancillary fame of your cute kids or relatable “mommy life.”
She has a good attitude and really seems to appreciate her life. Her kids are so cute!
I see what she’s saying about his speech, how she could see all that in what we said but we could see that she was taken aback a but. I think it was the wording. Ben has douche tendencies though so who knows. Also her kids are the cutest, I just can’t with their little colored glasses frames.
I don’t think it was a douche moment than he wanted to set up the “there’s nobody I’d rather work with” line about Jen in during a speech where he was thanking a lot of people he worked with. It came out awkward but I think the sentiment was honest.
Violet looks so much like mummy!
All of the kids look like mummy.
Hmm, not sure I agree. I just watched Argo and I was struck by how much the younger daughter looks exactly like Ben, especially around the eyes. I’d never seen the resemblance before.
I may be flying solo here, but if my SO said something like that and followed it up with “And there’s no one I’d rather work with,” I’d appreciate that sentiment.
I mean, think about it: joining two separate personalities, human beings in ALL their quirky glory, who have been wholly functioning people without the other in life thus far; raising children; maintaining home(s) and careers…THAT’S WORK, whether or not you’re a movie star/director/producer.
It takes some work! And you can choose to be graceful about it (not complain or blabbertise) or you can choose to fight it and walk away (divorce) when the going gets tough. They didn’t.
So, kudos to them for loving each other and their kids enough to work on their marriage.
Sorry. /rant
I totally agree. It is hard work and I admire him for saying that instead of doing the “my lovely wife, the light of my life, the most perfect women to ever draw breath”-routine. It may not be what people want to here from a Hollywood star, but it sure was what some people needed to hear *coughBritneyKimcough*
+1
So true! I would be 1000 times happier with his speech then with the usual rehearsed lovely bubbly, followed by divorce in the following months.
Nope, in the cockpit with you, Sarcasmo!
Reading you loud and clear. Been my thought since he said it.
“And I was absolutely wrong. For women, the high point of their career and needing to have babies just don’t really go together.”
So true.
It is so true. And it sucks.
I just closed down my company (I was a graphic designer) because I realized my kids/family were suffering for it. Financially it was great to have my extra income, but I really worked for my own satisfaction. My kids are still small and I found myself not being the kind of parent I wanted to be when I was working all the time.
My husband owns a design/build firm and I’m lucky in that I still get to work with him on design. It’s only been a month, but I feel much more peaceful about my life now. When they’re grown a bit, I’m sure my career will pick back up.
It’s so damn hard. I’m at a make-or-break point in my career, and the only way I’m going to be able to get this done and raise my kids with any degree of responsibility will involve staying up and working until midnight pretty much every night from here until December. I actually remember Ben Affleck saying that he sat with his daughters while they were in the bath and had half his mind on the next day’s work – I can totally relate to that. And for women, it is even harder.
I really wish she would not make blanket statements re women, career, and kids. We are not all living in the 1950s like she seems to be. Women can absolutely have a great career and be moms just need to have an equal partner. Just because her choice was to forgo her career does not mean that is right for other women or that other women even want that. The more she talks, the less I like her.
I prefer that she admits it’s hard rather than act like it’s easy. And nowhere does she say what’s right or wrong for other women, she’s just talking about herself.
You can have an amazing career. You can be a great mother. But those two do conflict with each other. In Jennifer’s case in particular, she could either be an A-list actress traveling all over the world for months on end or be at home with her kids. Yes, there is an in between and a balance. But ultimately, you have to make some sacrifices and maybe even choose which is more important in the end.
My mom went through this at a point in her career. While she has the potential to move up in her company, it would mean moving out of state and possibly out of country. She knew that my younger brother wanted to stay with his friends and his school, so she put her career on hold to stay in her current position. She’s happy with her decision. But she has said that her female coworkers and older peers have either gone through or are currently going through a similar situation at some point in their careers.
In 15-20 years we will see if it paid off when the kids are grown. My bet is that it will. She is sacrificing her career for the sake of her children as opposed to some other celebrity moms who raise their children on jet planes. Little kids need stability. They don’t want to know about the starving kids in Africa. They want to go to Chuck E. Cheese and make friends. I know I’m going to get slammed but it’s true.
Garner is a complete and utter phoney. These pictures look like they were not taken from a long distance. She must have recognised them, esp since she claims they follow her around. She is literally posing for the paps.
I don’t believe a word she says, any mother who pimps out her own kids to propel her own image is in my eyes a ruthless liar.
Wow, and here I was thinking how genuinely happy she looks and how her children always look happy too.
She’d make a great politician. She really knows how to present a narrative and never waiver from it. There’s no way in hell Ben wants to be in that marriage as much as she wants us to believe. And no one gets popped that much without being a part of making it happen by calling them and tipping them off yourself. She ha a happy family story to sell and the pap photos do just that. Even Matt Damon called her out on it and his kids (who live on the same street) are never photographed.
I agree. Their strategy, and I believe it is indeed a strategy, has really worked. She is a genius.
She knows the more people see pics of her and her cute kids portraying herself as the good and dedicated mom, the more difficult it is for Affleck to divorce her. Everybody will say “How can he leave such a dedicated mother”. Her game is very calculated. Its all about presenting an image for PR.
When I was little I lived in Asia for 2 years. Foreigners were rare and people stared at me wherever I went. Some wanted to touch my hair, talk to me, or just follow me. It was exciting at first but soon grew exhausting.
After even just that little experience, I can no way imagine Garner calling the paps herself. It’s an awful, tiring imposition and she is just putting a good face on it.
+1 Bingo!
@Ranunculus…I totally agree 100%.
I don’t normally like her but she does come across with grace…not whiny. BUT – I do think its stupid for a STAR to question why others want fame…um…I do not get that at ALL. I agree teachers and doctors should be waaaaaaaaay more valued…but its easy to throw quotes out there like that when you are sitting on a few million dollars.
I think I get what she’s saying. I think she realizes that celebs get a disproportionate amount of attention and money for a job that really doesn’t do as much for the greater good than teaching or medicine. I think it’s nice when people in the entertainment business acknowledge that fact.
It is nice..but to imply that wanting that level of fame is silly (her words) when you yourself wanted it as well seems very odd.
I like her so much. I find her to be genuine. She is a Type A personality, but she also seems like a warm person, a caring mom and good chick to have on your side.
To have both spouses in the industry, one very much so, in order to maximize family time and a normal life time, living in Hollywood and dealing with the paps is necessary. Not every parent wants a major commute for work and that’s what it would take if they moved out of the thick of things.
He’s obviously unhappily married, but it sounds like he’s trying to hang in there for whatever reason.
Not one post has mention the (obvious) nanny trailing behind them. Everybody still believes Jennifer is a ‘hands-on’ Mom in spite of her nanny, and she may have more than one. Why is it so hard to believe other celebrities with nannies are hands on parents as well?
She talked about her nanny in this very interview if you read the whole thing. And she’s given her shout outs in many interviews, including on Jimmy Fallon. She doesn’t try and hide the fact that she has a nanny but she also is seen out a lot without a nanny, unlike a lot of other celebrities.
@Jen Ash, who wrote: “She talked about her nanny in this very interview if you read the whole thing. And she’s given her shout outs in many interviews, including on Jimmy Fallon. She doesn’t try and hide the fact that she has a nanny but she also is seen out a lot without a nanny, unlike a lot of other celebrities.”
Excuse me, but did I say anything about ‘Jennifer Gardner’ not commenting about her nanny(s) in my post?
If it bothers you that the paps are camped at your doorstep then consider moving. There are such things as gated communities in LA.
I think it’s hugely telling that a friend of Jennifer’s called to see if she was okay… Someone who knows Jen, Ben, and their relationship called to make sure those comments did not set her off. Obviously, the comments were not as well received as she’s now telling us they were.
OMG, that was what most stood out to be about her comments as well. If I knew my friend’s relationship was rock solid, I wouldn’t even have reason to worry if those comments might have stung. The fact that her friend felt the need to call her speaks volumes.
Though I was the only one picking up on that. It seems that when Ben screws up, Jen takes passive aggressive digs at him, verbally or otherwise. No way this woman has survived in HW without being a little cutthroat.
awful to have to keep up appearances even with your friends
Exactly! Their friend knew they were not complimentary & Jennifer in her private moments knows the same thing. Ben is a douche & it showed in that speech. Ask him about Rebecca Hall or Blake Lively and there would be a very different, glowing answer.
That is more telling than anything that a friend who knows her would call to see if she was ok. Jennifer and her fans can spin that speech any way they want but no way no how was that speech a nice thing to say about jennifer and even jennifers friend who know her best doesnt think so.
He had praised her in other speeches, declaring his love for her. He was rushed because of the other other guy taking too long and he was all over the place and so cute and humble in his speech. She was a wife out there who is proud and sure of his love for her and her love for him and just rooting for him in his speech as he got very emotional about it all, his lull in his career, his comeback, his marriage, everything. She knows the strength of their marriage as a team. She has nothing to prove to anyone (Like LeAnn is constantly doing.)
Sounds like Jennifer lives on the river of denial.
You can live without paparazzi .
She loves to change it up to make it look like
Both are happy.
I don’t Beleive it. .
Why cheat ?
Apparently no one believes a marriage can survivie cheating(assuming there was any), that the wife can deal with motherhood and paparazzi with grace, and obviously love her kids to death. The evidence on that last one is the children. They always look happy. Always.
Ben knows all too well the power of the media, when he was with Jlo, he almost lost his entire career over public image.
I think he’s bored to death with Garner and prone to narcissism and would have already left her but his image would suffer grievously and she knows that.
I think she’s been VERY careful to present a certain image to the media to make sure she keeps that leverage over him.
She probably thinks he’ll wake up one day and realize how hard she’s worked to keep up appearances for the sake of their family, but really, he’ll only resent the hell out of her for it.
This! Very well said indeed.
Ben does, and has always, loved the spotlight of fame.
Excellent comment. It’s all about the PR with these 2.
I think he genuinely enjoys her friendship and company, and respects her work as a wife and mother. That doesn’t automatically negate his big ego, his wild side, his workaholic nature, or his general compulsive tendencies, but if they’re both willing to acknowledge their weaknesses and work on their issues, it is possible to keep those tendencies in check and the marriage on track. He’s got a lot more to lose than just his image if his marriage succumbs to those pressures, and he’s been around the block enough to know how empty, shallow, and unproductive a life of drinking, gambling, and skirt chasing is, especially at his age.
If they were really the mature people like you describe them to be they would stay private and out of the public eye a lot more.
It seems more important to them what the public thinks than what their relationship means to them.
I find it very surprising that any person who is grounded and mature would be OK with the media frenzy these two are pulling off. But it’s Hollywood after all, everything is about image and how much you can gain from that.
I agree with you. Ben has a lot to lose and I believe his speech actually acknowledged that. I do not understand bashing them for not being perfect, being honest about that, and working their crap out. I believe they are genuinely happy.
How much does the paparazzi make off of them? It seems like they are photographed almost daily … Doesn’t that bring the value down?
I don’t get it…why are people so admant to think their marriage is dead, I mean did you guys see the pictures posted last time of Ben showing affection for Jen….and don’t tell me it fake…please
As the writer said that once Jen left, her car was followed by 4 more which means she was right when she said that paps follow her..and I mean she came without her kids here soggy are they still following her??? I don’t know why people think she is pimping her kids out.
She has very few locations where she is spotted with the kids that includes their school, farmer’s market, coffee shop, local park and karate classes.. I mean its not that hard to get their snaps when you know what precise locations they are seen in.
Lastly I thought his speech was a compliment because throughout the speech he was talking about getting a second chance…and how had he worked for it and while mentioning all this work he got a little verbal diarrhea (you could tell he didnt know what he was saying..he is a nervous talker) and mentioned the marriage as work too (which is nothing wrong in my eyes). As the person on first post mentioned that thu went through a rough path in 2009/2010…which I abide by so he is probably remebering that time and thanking her to still sticking with him throughout all this.
He has given all those lovey dovey statements in other award shows like golden globes and Jen is right that he choose Oscars to compliment her the biggest way possible…it’s just he is a nervous talker and hence it all came out awkward.
Their kids are beautiful and I truly hope this family stays blessed & always happy
Rant over lol
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I have seen her papped in person. It’s insane and from what I have seen with my own eyes- they aren’t “enjoyng or milking” this- trust me. They look miserable- I think she tries to get through it smiling so the kids don’t get frightened. Jen is a good mom from everything I have seen or heard in town. I can’t imagine she would put her kids through this for stupid PR.
People only see the few pics posted/printed. And they speculate and judge from these very very few images they see.
The photogs flurry around them and when they try to leave– these guys literally run to their cars and chase them in their cars like a house was on fire. it’s totally insane.
Princess Diana died in one of these insane chases..I am stunned someone hasn’t been killed here.
She has decided to really milk the family image because this is pretty much all they got both her and ben really benefit from this…there is something that rubs me the wrong way about the afflecks….i don’t understand why they get photographed so much and why they would live in LA if they are trying to be such normal parents….just doesn’t seem right
I think she has a certain image she wants to project, and is very aware of it at all times.
For some weird reason, their family has been a paparazzi target since day 1. Maybe there are some times they use it to their advantage, but when the paps are camped at your house and follow you to school every single day, that SUCKS. No one (except maybe diehard famewhores like Kardashians or Lohans) would want that.
That boy is adorable, and I predict he’s going to be spoiled ridiculously. Not necessarily in a good way, either. I always get annoyed when men are so insistent on having a boy when they have a girl or two.
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I’ve always liked her and I don’t think she’s catering to the paparazzi. She a hands on mom and I admire her for that. I would hate to be married to Ben, though.
What does it mean to be a hands on mom?
Do you know how she parents because she is smiling when photographed and tickles her kids and has “trained” the older one to pose with her?
Does she not have a nanny and all the help money can buy (which is fine and says nothing of her as a parent, but neither these posed photos.
All in all, she comes across as pretty sincere and real in this interview, but one quote in particular seemed a little hypocritical (was going to use another word, but it wouldn’t pass the profanity filter):
Why does everyone think they need to be a star? It’s ridiculous. The celebrity culture is so silly and the fact that people grow up thinking that it’s something to aspire to just seems wrong.
It’s easy to be sanctimonious when you have achieved tremendous wealth (17 million dollar home, multiple luxury cars, etc., etc.) thanks to the “celebrity culture”. If she had to give it all up tomorrow to be a teacher….
By star I think she means famous actor as opposed to just working actor. There are plenty of actors who get regular work but they aren’t all famous.
#1, as everyone has already said, THEY COULD MOVE. Seriously. There are plenty of places they could live where Ben could still have his career (and they would not be stalked by the paparazzi). They just don’t want to, which is fine– but you can’t have everything.
#2– Jennifer– for pete’s sake– vary up your schedule. Heck, I do not live in California, but I can’t tell you how many photos I’ve seen of her at the Brentwood Country Mart or the local farmer’s market. If you have a problem with nannies at a certain park always “calling” the paps, then GO TO A DIFFERENT PARK. LA is big. I’m sure you could find somewhere new.
She’s smart enough to know how to beat the paps, yet she doesn’t do it. Just look at all the other celebrity babies that came around the same time of this baby boom/fascination — Paltrow’s kids, Julia Robert’s kids, Coco Arquette…if they can keep their kids mostly out of the limelight, so can she, if she tries.
She is as much a pap employer as Kim K. Please. Why is she getting a pass?!!!
Same setup.
I want to think the Afflecks are a happy, solid family. With others in wondering why they’re papped so much.. would’t have thought pics of their children would be worth much $$ in these over-sharing internet times.
Suspect Ben and Jen would both be demanding, divas and difficult to live with. Jen has a diva reputation from her “Alias” days.
Who needs a nanny when they’re just walking down the street? I get the vibe that Jen’s not half the hands-on mum she portrays herself to be.
I like what she says about we should be paying more attention to teachers, doctors, etc. who actually do things for people other than playing big-boy and girl pretend.
IF she’s being genuine!
With all the comments on this post, is it any wonder why the paparazzi are tailing this family? We are all obviously very enthralled and intrigued by them.
They could do what any responsible pap target parent does and get the hell out of LA.
Or just don’t play into the photographers game. Garner is basically a stay at home mum these days, so what’s the harm in having the nannies drop the kids of at school and sports? She’d still be with them 99% of the time. Plenty of non-famous parents do the carpool thing, so it’s not like her kids would be missing out on anything crucial.
She could have the groceries delivered. Take a quick drive out of Brentwood when she wants to take the kids out for a day. It’s not that hard. The kids are cute, but without the celeb parent in frame they aren’t worth the time or effort. They’d stop being photographed if Jennifer and Ben weren’t there.
At the very least if I were her I’d do things like shopping BEFORE I picked the kids up from school so they could at least avoid being papped on one occasion. The fact that she does so many things she could do alone with the whole family in tow convinces me she wants the kids to photographed. Not surprising considering the family pics are the only reason she’s still famous in her own right.
That’s so cute…the little girl that Jennifer is holding by the car has two different shoes on!
If you are a fan of them both and followed this Awards season and the release and publicity for Argo then you saw Ben say how much he loved his wife, how much she means to him and that she is his ‘Everything’ or something like that over and over! I heard him call her exquisite, beautiful and his everything several times. By the time the Oscars rolled around he was so emotional he was barely holding the tears at bay. He said ‘through tears’ how much he appreciates their life, her working with him in that life and I believe with him to re-invent his career. She looked like she was trying hard not to cry as well, she did not look angry or shocked or anything but truly touched and happy to me. It was a beautiful end to a long road for the film and a beautiful beginning to what I am sure they both feel is a career that gives Ben the respect he has long deserved.
As far as the paps, well I think they have chosen to live in Calif because it works for them, so they deal with the paps. I do not think they court the attention, I think they cannot get away from it. Matt Damon lives primarily in NY, Depp and his partner are no longer together and she is not known in the States, most of the others mentioned don’t live in LA, or are not married to celebrities or have older children. I really believe it is still mostly the fact that the ‘so called press’ and paps went after Ben long ago and still do. They should respect him and his family, but the pictures are part of life for them. They handle it for the most part well. There are pictures of Jen today from yesterday and she was in NY for some reason, no kids around. She was with friends! So she is followed and can do little about it!
I totally agree with you , Alice, every word is reasonable in your post.
People try to see drama where there is no drama. If there is nothing, they try to make it up.
It´d be OK if three kids were not involved, and one of them can read.
I think also that Ben didn´t cheat on her, because he is not that stupid to get caught on such a low act in the first place. The stupid times are over for him. He seems like a guy who learns from his own mistakes.
Sure Jen, make me love you even more. Ugh.
No problem with his speech here, either.
Leave the Afflecks alone!!!