How Jennifer Garner Stood By Ben Affleck Despite Their Divorce

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck are one of those rare celebrity couples who managed to keep their personal lives extremely private. They’re also one of those rare couples who managed to remain friends even after going through a divorce.

Garner and Affleck surprised fans when they announced in 2015 that they were planning to divorce after 10 years of marriage. Despite their decision, they also promised to remain friends and co-parent their three children.

“After much thought and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to divorce,” the ex-couple made a joint announcement that year via Us Weekly. “We go forward with love and friendship for one another and a commitment to co-parenting our children whose privacy we ask to be respected during this difficult time.”

Apparently, they’ve had issues for years, but they were trying to stay together, especially with the arrival of their third child, Sam. “They were in couples therapy for years,” a source told the publication.

“They were going to divorce when Sam was born but you know how it is — baby comes and solves the issues for a bit but it’s just a Band-Aid. It hasn’t been working for ages.”

Despite their 2015 announcement, the couple’s divorce was only finalized three years later in 2018, which left some fans wondering. It turned out that Garner was still very mindful of her ex-husband’s health and welfare despite their ongoing divorce at that time.

“Jen wanted to give Ben the time and opportunity to work on his health and sobriety,” a source explained to Us Weekly why Garner has been stalling the process after she filed for divorce in 2017. “She isn’t in a rush.”

Garner was also there to coax Affleck to seek therapy for his alcohol addiction for the sake of their children. She was spotted last year driving her ex-husband to rehab in LA, according to Glamour.

Affleck, who did not hide the fact that he is undergoing treatment, was thankful for the support of those close to him, including Garner. “I have completed treatment for alcohol addiction; something I've dealt with in the past and will continue to confront,” he wrote on social media.

“I'm lucky to have the love of my family and friends, including my co-parent, Jen, who has supported me and cared for our kids as I've done the work I set out to do. This was the first of many steps being taken towards a positive recovery,” Affleck continued.