Jennifer Garner Says Divorce and Motherhood Led Her to Step Back From Acting

Jennifer Garner is opening up about why she stepped back from acting for several years.

In a new interview with InStyle, the 54-year-old actress said she worked less after becoming a mother to her three children with ex-husband Ben Affleck. She added that she took even more time away from Hollywood following their separation in 2015 and divorce in 2018.

Garner explained that raising her children—Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel—became her top priority. She said family changes during the divorce also led her to focus more on home life and less on acting.

Now that her children are older, Garner has returned to acting more regularly. She currently stars in the upcoming Peacock series The Five Star Weekend. However, she still chooses projects carefully and prefers to work close to her Los Angeles home so she can remain involved in her children's lives.

The actress said she no longer feels guilty about working and is grateful to have acting back in her life. Garner described acting as something she genuinely enjoys and said she feels fortunate to approach her career with happiness rather than pressure.

Garner previously revealed that after the birth of her youngest child, Samuel, in 2012, she briefly considered leaving acting. A conversation with her longtime agent helped her realize she still loved the profession and was not ready to retire.