Jennifer Garner has revealed she is banned from attending her children's sports practices because of the safety risks caused by paparazzi following her. The 54-year-old actress shares three children—Violet, 20, Fin, 17, and Samuel, 14—with ex-husband Ben Affleck, 53.
Speaking on the Shut Up Evan podcast, Garner explained that the constant media attention creates dangerous situations. She said: 'If I went through a yellow light, 15 cars would go through the red behind me. They would drive up onto people’s lawns, even on a hillside.'
Soccer practice incident
'We were trying to have our little one play soccer, and the association asked us to stop because there were 20 cars coming. So it wasn’t just about us. It was just an industry that had gotten out of control,' she said.
Garner described how paparazzi block her access to everyday activities. 'If you show up and you’re trying to get into the paediatrician and you have a sick kid on your shoulder and you’re scared and you can’t get into the door because you’re blocked by photographers, there’s something wrong with that, and the kids are paying the price.'
Relationship with paparazzi
The actress noted that some photographers have followed her for years, creating a complex rapport. 'I have a very interesting relationship with my main guy. I've done anything to ask him to leave. And at the same time, we have an odd respect for each other.'
She recounted an incident where she feared for her safety and ran to a photographer she trusted. 'I was followed by someone who, for whatever reason, I thought was going to hurt me, and I ran to him because I knew him and trusted him... Like, there’s kind of a Stockholm syndrome thing.'
Garner also said she has called the police on photographers, asking for space to walk with her children and dog.
Motherhood and acting
Garner recently returned for the second season of Apple TV+ series The Last Thing He Told Me. She told Glamour magazine in February that she draws on her own motherhood experiences for her roles. 'I think you take everything that you are, everything that you have experienced, into whatever role you do.'
Her children do not enjoy watching her on screen. 'They really want me to be mum... Watching me cry or fight or be in danger is less appealing to them,' she said.
