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Jennifer Garner: why I avoid reading press about Ben Affleck or myself

"I'm sure [Ben] is quite meme-worthy," she says

Ben Affleck and Jen Garner (seen here in L.A. in February 2020), divorced in 2018 and successfully co-parent their three kids.
Justin Ravitz
Justin Ravitz - New York
Editorial Director, U.S.New York
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Out of sight, out of mind? Don't ask Jennifer Garner for her spicy takes on news items or memes about her ex-husband Ben Affleck, herself, or anyone else in their family (including, presumably, Ben's wife Jennifer Lopez). That's because the Adam Project actress, 50, takes pain to avoid reading any press regarding her or her famous former spouse.

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"I really work hard not to see either of us in the press," Jennifer explained to Australian magazine Stellar in a new interview. "It doesn't make me feel good, even if it's something nice about one of us."

Indeed, with her role in the public eye, Jennifer prefers the ignorance-is-bliss approach with all press.  “I just try to forget that I’m out there in any way, and the same with anyone I love,” she said — and that includes any lighthearted viral moments, too.  "I don't need to see anyone in my family made into a meme," she said, conceding that her ex Ben provides ripe fodder, but that she was unaware of the Sad Ben, Bored Ben, or Dunkin' Ben memes. "Although I'm sure he's quite meme-worthy, yes!"

Ben and Jennifer at the SAG Awards in January 2014.  © Angela Weiss
Ben and Jennifer at the SAG Awards in January 2014.

MORE: Ben makes rare comment about his kids

MORE: How Jen Garner reacted to Ben's marriage to J. Lo

Jennifer, currently enjoying a TV renaissance with roles in Starz' Party Down as well as Apple TV's The Last Thing He Told Me, was married to her Daredevil costar Ben, 50, from 2005 to 2018. They share kids Violet, 17, Seraphina, 14, and Samuel, 11, and she famously supported him in his addiction struggles even after their split. Watch Jennifer open up about the struggles of parenting her kids in the video below.

Jen on what Violet, Seraphina, and Ben really think of her

After the divorce, Ben eventually made his way back to another Jennifer — Lopez, his ex-girlfriend from whom he split in 2004 — and they wed to great media cacophony last year. Quite unlike Ben and J. Lo, who attend premieres, award shows, and red carpets together and make frequent affectionate and frank comments about one another, Jennifer Garner, as her media-reading habits suggest, prefers to keep things private. She's reportedly been dating John Miller, CEO of CaliGroup (a holding company that specialzes in food and tech), on-and-off since after her split. According to People, the extremely low-key couple have been steadily together now for over a year. "They have a very special relationship," one insider is quoted as saying.

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