Ben Affleck Says He & Jen Garner Will Be Connected ‘Forever’ Amid Divorce Regrets
Feb. 26 2020, Updated 7:00 p.m. ET
Ben Affleck still cares deeply about ex-wife Jennifer Garner, and could not be more grateful that she is in his life.
In a candid interview with PEOPLE, the Batman actor , 47,could not stop gushing about his ex, 47.
“When you have children with somebody you’re connected to them forever,” he said. “And I’m very lucky she is the mother of my children.”
As RadarOnline.com readers know, his reveal came days after he told The New York Times that the “biggest regret” of his “life” is his divorce from Garner.
The actors were married for 10 years before calling it quits. Though their divorce was finalized in 2018, after Affleck entered rehab for the third time for his alcohol addiction, they’ve remained close friends and co-parents to their three kids: Violet, 14, Seraphina, 11, and Samuel, 7.
As part of their friendship, Garner has remained by Affleck’s side amid his substance abuse battle, and even drove him to rehab after an incident in August 2018.
“I’m very grateful and respectful of her,” Affleck said of his ex. “Our marriage didn’t work, and that’s difficult. Both of us really believe that it’s important for kids to see their parents respect one another and get along, whether they’re together or not.”
He said that while he thought it would be painful for his kids to go through the divorce drama while in the public eye, they’re strong and appreciate knowing the truth.
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“It’s important for my kids to know that I respect and care about Jen and she treats me the same way,” the actor said. “I have a lot of respect and gratitude toward her. And I wish her the very best.”
Affleck and Garner are often spotted spending time together, either alone or as a family, with their kids. The stars regularly attend their children’s sports games and show up to church on the weekends.
Affleck is still attending rehab classes for his alcohol addiction after relapsing on Halloween 2019. As he recovers, he’s jumping back into his acting career and anxiously awaiting the release of his uplifting film, The Way Back, in which he plays a struggling alcoholic who breaks up his marriage.