Jennifer Garner ‘Started Panicking’ When Building the House She Moved Into After Ben Affleck Divorce

Jennifer Garner explained why she panicked when building the house she now lives in after her divorce from Ben Affleck. Here's why.

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck had one of Hollywood’s most notable marriages. The couple tied the knot in 2005 and separated a decade later before finalizing their divorce in 2018. Now, they remain friends, as Garner seemed to help Affleck with his marital woes with Jennifer Lopez. And the exes live incredibly close to each other, with Garner residing in a beautiful custom-built home in California. Here’s what Garner said about why she “started panicking” while her house was under construction.

Jennifer Garner explained why she panicked when her post-divorce home was being built

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck moved into a home in the Pacific Palisades in 2009 with 20,000 square feet of living space. At the time, the couple had two kids — and they had their third three years later. The couple split in 2015 and looked to find a buyer. Eventually, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine and his wife, Behati Prinsloo, bought the estate in 2018 for $32 million.

After Garner and Affleck’s divorce, Garner knew she wanted her new home to “feel old and cool and historic,” she told Architectural Digest. She enlisted the help of Steve and Brooke Giannetti, a husband-and-wife architect and interior designer duo, for her $7.4 million house.

“I sat down with them one time and said, ‘OK, I know exactly the house I want to build,'” Garner explained. “And I described it to him. Steve sent me a watercolor of it, and that is exactly the house we built.”

While Garner trusted her designers, she said she “started panicking” when it came time to build. “We so didn’t change much that I started panicking in the middle of the build,” she said. “And I thought, I never even made a Pinterest board. I never even showed him pictures from a magazine; I just told him what I wanted and he did it, and what if I hate it? But it turns out I’m really, really happy.”

Garner noted that she believes she uses the house “really well,” and her three kids “are all over the house,” which she loves. “I am happy that I feel like we use the space really well and that the kids are all over the house,” she explained. “They’re as comfortable sitting in the living room as they are doing homework in the dining room. And that’s the dream, right?”

Jennifer Garner allowed Ben Affleck to visit her home during his issues with Jennifer Lopez

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner remain close post-divorce. Affleck and Jennifer Lopez were having marital issues through 2024, and they officially separated in April. The actor visited his ex-wife’s home multiple times over the summer.

In May 2024, a source told Us Weekly that Garner wanted Affleck to work through his issues with Lopez. “Jennifer Garner is encouraging Ben to work on his marriage to Jen,” the source claimed. “She fully supports their relationship and wants nothing more than for him to be happy.”

Another source told Life & Style that Affleck comes and goes from her home “as he pleases.”

“He’s got a key to come and go as he pleases, and he’s been spending a ton of time at her place, coming over for dinners and hanging with the kids,” the insider alleged. “It’s great for his state of mind, and the kids love having him around.”

Ben Affleck allegedly ‘never liked’ the $68 million home he bought with Jennifer Lopez

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez publicly listed their $68 million mansion for sale. While some insiders insisted that Lopez compromised and bought the home because Affleck loved it, another source told People that Affleck “never liked” the mansion.

“His life’s in Brentwood. His kids live there,” the source said. “It was such a pain and time-consuming for Ben to navigate traffic from their house. He never liked it.”

Affleck bought a $20 million mansion before Lopez officially filed for divorce. She’s allegedly still looking for her next property.

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