Jennifer Garner has revealed that the end of her marriage to Ben Affleck triggered a financial panic after years of scaling back her acting career to raise their three children. Speaking on the 25 August episode of Aspire with Emma Grede, the Alias and 13 Going on 30 star said she suddenly had to confront how long Hollywood would continue to employ her and how she would support herself and her family.
'I panicked when I was first out of my marriage,' Garner, 54, said, explaining that she realised how far she had stepped back professionally. The actress said she was suddenly thinking about supporting herself and her children while questioning the longevity of an acting career as she grew older. She also said, without detailing the financial terms of the divorce, 'I didn't get some huge payout'.
Motherhood Changed What Work She Could Take
Garner and Affleck married in 2005, announced their separation in 2015 and finalised their divorce in October 2018. During their marriage, Garner said she deliberately worked less while their children, Violet, Fin and Samuel, were young, a decision she remains grateful she was able to make. The consequences became clearer after the marriage ended and she had to assess what kinds of jobs were realistic while remaining present for her children.
Returning to the traditional rhythm of film work was not as simple as booking the next available project. Garner told Grede she could work in Los Angeles but could not leave her children for six months at a time, even though she loved shooting on location. She and her team therefore became more selective, targeting opportunities that could fit around the life she needed to maintain at home.
Her concern was also shaped by what she saw as the limited earning trajectory for women as they age in Hollywood. Garner said acting was not traditionally a profession where women could assume that reaching 43, 55 or 60 would mean being paid more than ever before. That uncertainty made her future income feel newly urgent despite decades of fame and roles in films including 13 Going on 30, Juno and Dallas Buyers Club.
Once Upon a Farm Became Part of the Plan
One major part of Garner's answer was Once Upon a Farm, the organic children's food company she joined as a cofounder in September 2017. The company lists Garner as a director, cofounder and 'Farmer Jen', while Garner told Grede the business became 'very much a part' of her plan to create earning potential outside acting. 'Oh, I need to be an earner here,' she recalled realising as money became something she needed to consider more deliberately.
That business has since become a significant second chapter in Garner's career. Once Upon a Farm completed its initial public offering on 9 February 2026 at $18 per share and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker OFRM. A US Securities and Exchange Commission filing covering 31 March reported Garner as beneficially owning approximately 3.06 million shares, including exercisable options, representing 7.1% of the class.
Garner Does Not Regret Stepping Back
Despite the anxiety she experienced after her marriage ended, Garner did not frame motherhood as a career mistake. She said she felt 'so lucky' to have been able to work some of the time while also being home with her children and described that period as getting 'the best of both worlds'. Her comments separate regretting the time she gave her family from recognising the financial vulnerability that became visible once her marriage was over.
Garner has continued balancing both sides of her career, including starring in The Five-Star Weekend, while remaining involved with Once Upon a Farm. The company became publicly traded earlier this year, nearly a decade after she joined it. For Garner, the panic she described was not about fame disappearing overnight, but about confronting the reality that being famous did not automatically guarantee long-term financial security.
