Ben Affleck recently shared insights on parenting teenagers, revealing he is often the target of jokes from his children. During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the 54-year-old actor discussed the challenges of parenting teens and expressed surprise at not being considered the ‘cool dad.’
My kids chat at dinner about their friends and the drama and relationships, and I have some lived experiences worth sharing, some lessons… these are the kind of things we give to our children.
Affleck recounted trying to offer advice about relationships, only to be met with skepticism from his 17-year-old, who asked, ‘Oh, like you’re the expert on relationships?’
Affleck shares three children with ex-wife Jennifer Garner: Violet, 20, Fin, 17, and Samuel, 14. The couple was married for over a decade before separating in 2015 and finalizing their divorce in 2018. Apart from Garner, Affleck has had several high-profile relationships, including Lindsay Shookus of Saturday Night Live fame and model Shauna Sexton. He gained attention in 2019 for dating actress Ana de Armas, and later rekindled romance with his former fiancé, Jennifer Lopez.
Lopez and Affleck originally dated from 2002 to 2004 and got back together in April 2021, becoming Instagram official in July 2021. The couple announced their engagement by April 2022 and married in July of the same year. According to Lopez’s newsletter at the time, they aimed to live lives they could be proud of, operating from a place of love and respect for everyone around them.
However, after two years of marriage, Lopez filed for divorce in August 2024.
We really live our lives in a way we can be proud of and our kids can be proud of you. We’re just operating from a place of love and respect for everyone in our lives.
While on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Affleck mentioned that Garner declined a role as his wife in his new film, Animals. Garner turned down the offer, proverbially saying, ‘Great, but no, I’m not gonna play your wife in a movie.’ Affleck learned from that experience and cast Kerry Washington in the role. The film, directed and co-written by Affleck, portrays a couple who struggle to pay their son’s ransom.