5 Times Jennifer Garner Subtly Shaded Ben Affleck

Before his dramatic divorce from Jennifer Lopez, superstar actor Ben Affleck was married to "Elektra" and "13 Going on 30" star Jennifer Garner from 2005 to 2018. While they did divorce and went through troubles throughout their marriage, Affleck and Garner are now close again, and even spent Thanksgiving together. 

Garner and Affleck have been spotted spending time together since the latter's split from Lopez, including a family trip to Japan. A source that is reportedly close to both Affleck and Garner exclusively told Life & Style about how good their relationship has become as of December 2024. "Ben and Jen are closer than ever. They've developed a mutual respect and a deeper level of friendship they didn't have before," the source declared. "It has some friends asking if they could be on their way to getting back together."

While the former couple seems to have a well-balanced friendship and co-parent healthily, that doesn't stop Garner from throwing a bit of shade every now and then.

In November 2024, while a guest on the podcast "Lipstick on the Rim" hosted by Molly Sims and Emese Gormley, Jennifer Garner made a comment that could seem innocent but could also very well be interpreted as a dig at Ben Affleck. During the show, a question came up that Garner had a lengthy answer for. The hosts of the podcast inquired about Garner's most treasured mantra, and the "Alias" actor had several answers. However, one stood out above the rest, especially for its possible implied connotation concerning Affleck.

After being asked this rather thoughtful question, Garner recalled something her mother said to her in earnest. "Never expect a man — don't marry a man thinking you can change him," was the phrase Garner told the podcast hosts. This seems to be simply sound advice; however, given Affleck's track record with marriages and relationships in general, she could be referencing her ex-husband with this statement. Affleck and Jennifer Lopez dated from 2002 to 2004 before rekindling over a decade later and marrying in 2022. Lopez and Affleck's marriage ended in divorce in 2024, which makes it seem as though Garner could have been addressing Lopez when she said marriage can't transform a man. Affleck also infamously told Playboy Magazine in his 20s that his relationships never seem to work out.

Jennifer Garner initially split from Ben Affleck in 2015 before the couple finalized their divorce in 2018. In 2016, Garner had an exclusive interview with Vanity Fair in which she divulged on her life since breaking up with Affleck, and one comment that the "Juno" actor made was as humorous as it was shady.

Garner declared to the outlet that she was having a "year of wine," which indicates that Affleck led her to start needing to drink more in 2016. Garner also indicated during the interview that she was fairly devastated by the end of her marriage to Affleck, and opposed the idea that her relationship with the "Daredevil" star was just for show. "It was a real marriage. It wasn't for the cameras," Garner declared. "And it was a huge priority for me to stay in it. And that did not work." 

While Garner shared that enjoying some wine helped her get through her divorce, she has begun to rethink her relationship with alcohol. In 2023, Garner told Harper's Bazaar that she wanted to shield her body from the negative effects of alcohol. "I think the more that comes out about alcohol, the more I'm just re-examining my own relationship with alcohol. The older I get, the more I want to protect my brain," Garner stated. "I've never been somebody to drink more than a glass, but I did have a glass pretty regularly, and now I've just been stripping those away."

During her 2016 interview with Vanity Fair, Jennifer Garner, who lives a lavish life, revealed that her marriage was already suffering before her ex-husband, Ben Affleck, was allegedly romantically involved with their kids' nanny, Christine Ouzounian. According to People, sources close to Ouzounian detailed an affair between Affleck and herself, but a source close to Affleck stated, "There has never been a romantic or sexual relationship."

Garner dished on Ouzounian and stated that the alleged affair between the nanny and Affleck was completely separate from the crumbling of her marriage, which occurred months or even years before. "We had been separated for months before I ever heard about the nanny," Garner told the outlet. "She had nothing to do with our decision to divorce. She was not a part of the equation." However, Garner did declare that her husband doesn't have the best discernment when it comes to decision-making. "Bad judgment? Yes. It's not great for your kids for [a nanny] to disappear from their lives," Garner added. "I have had to have conversations about the meaning of 'scandal.'" While Affleck and Garner have a wonderful friendship in 2024, her comments toward him in 2016 show she was nothing short of annoyed with her husband at the time.

Jennifer Garner's 2016 Vanity Fair interview was chock-full of shade against Ben Affleck because, during that same interview, the Emmy nominee made a statement where she both complemented and majorly shaded her ex-husband. During the rant that turned into a shade session, Garner first discussed how the man she fell in love with was not the man the tabloids knew. She declared that she had no regrets about marrying Affleck. "I didn't marry the big fat movie star; I married him," Garner stated. "And I would go back and remake that decision. I ran down the beach to him, and I would again. You can't have these three babies and so much of what we had. He's the love of my life. What am I going to do about that?"

As Garner's monologue continued, she continued to express how incredible her ex was, but her speech suddenly took a turn when she harshly and poetically stated that Affleck could cause problems for many in his life. "He's the most brilliant person in any room, the most charismatic, the most generous. He's just a complicated guy. I always say, 'When his sun shines on you, you feel it,'" Garner said. "But when the sun is shining elsewhere, it's cold. He can cast quite a shadow."

Another bit of playful shade that Jennifer Garner threw towards Ben Affleck was actually into the hit 2024 movie, "Deadpool and Wolverine." Garner reprises her role of Elektra in a cameo when the film's lead characters — portrayed by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, respectively — are cast aside and discarded along with several other forgotten superheroes from previous Marvel films. 

In the film, it is revealed that the character of Daredevil was killed, and Deadpool tells Elektra, "I'm so sorry." However, Elektra coldly responds with "Don't be." Affleck starred in the 2003 film "Daredevil" as the titular superhero opposite Garner's Elektra, giving the writers a chance to write a clever and rather shady joke. Fans took notice of the clever moment, with one X user writing, "jennifer garner shading ben affleck in deadpool & wolverine is my new favorite thing." 

While Garner (who's gone through a stunning transformation over the years) is never afraid to send a light emotional jab Affleck's way, it's evident the bond between them never broke, even if their split at one time did spill into their professional lives.