Ben Affleck Jokes He's Not As Good at Parenting as Ex Jennifer Garner

Oct 11, 2026 - 01:10

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Ben Affleck Jokes He's Not As Good at Parenting as Ex Jennifer Garner

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Ben Affleck is aware his parenting skills may not be on the same level as Jennifer Garner.

And he seems completely fine with it.

Indeed, while shedding light on his co-parenting relationship with his ex-wife—with whom he shares kids Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17, and Samuel, 14—the Gone Girl star joked that Garner sets the bar so high as a mom that it makes him look bad.

“Their mom is spectacular,” Affleck shared in a preview of the Oct. 11 episode of Sunday Today with Willie Geist, “and it always makes me feel like I’m coming up a little short.”

The Oscar winner joked that he tells their kids he’s “doing about 75 percent as good as your mom.”

“And they’re like, ‘Maybe 40 percent,’” he added with a laugh. “I’m maxing out. Woo, B+!”

But in all seriousness, Affleck—who split from Garner in 2015 after nearly 10 years of marriage—expressed that he couldn’t be more “grateful” to have a co-parent like the 13 Going on 30 actress.

“I respect her,” the 54-year-old emphasized, “I think the most important thing is having that mutual respect—being able to get along with that person.”

In fact, this isn’t the first time Affleck has made a point to praise Garner and their strong co-parenting relationship during his press tour for his latest film Animals.

“I work hard, and then I go home and pick up the kids from school,” he told Variety in an interview published Oct. 7. “We have dinner if they agree to hang out with me. They’re with me for a week, then with their mom for a week.”

“They have a great thing with their mom,” he continued, “for whom I’m also really, really grateful.”

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Ultimately, the Good Will Hunting star has only positive words to say about the current state of his career and his life at home.

“I know things will come up that are hard, and I don’t want to jinx that,” Affleck admitted, “but this time in my life as a human being is really wonderful.”

And while Affleck and Garner excel as co-parents years after their divorce, keep reading to take a look back at where it all began…

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Handsome Devil & Electric Elektra

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck put their heads together at a 2003 Planet Hollywood screening of their movie Daredevil—the movie that started it all.

Avik Gilboa/WireImage.com