Ina Garten Almost Didn’t Collaborate with Jennifer Garner Due to a Clerical Error

I’m a total sucker for the unlikely friendship that has formed between Jennifer Garner and Ina Garten. That’s why I was surprised to learn that Garten almost missed the opportunity to collaborate with Garner due to a clerical error.

The Barefoot Contessa, 76, was featured in this week’s issue of People magazine as she promotes her all-new memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens , which will hit bookshelves on October 1. In an exclusive excerpt, Garten revealed that she used to receive tons of unsolicited submissions for guests on Barefoot Contessa .

“People who didn’t understand that the guests on my show were my friends in real life often wrote to see if they could cook with me,” she said.

The foodie explained that her assistant, Barbara, used to sift through email pitches about partnerships. “[My assistant] Barbara handled my correspondence and always sent polite letters explaining how the show worked,” Garten added. “One day, she’d offhandedly dismissed a letter from Jennifer Garner because she apparently didn’t realize who she was.”

Thankfully, Garten caught the mistake and reached out to Garner because she “had an instinct about her.”

“She seemed smart, funny and so grounded, very un-Hollywood. I thought she was someone I could have fun with,” she continued. “I reached out to her when we were shooting an episode in Los Angeles, made a date to cook together, and, as we both suspected, felt an instant connection. We’ve been friends ever since.”

Garten added, “I just admire her enormously.”

Mistakes happen, Barbara. I’m just glad Ina caught this one.

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