Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck had to "adapt" to life as parents in the spotlight.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner in 2014
The former couple - who married in 2005, and divorced last year after first splitting in 2015 and filing divorce documents in 2017 - have Violet, 13, Seraphina, 10, and Samuel, six, together, and Jennifer has said it was difficult for them to navigate life as famous parents, because they were "surrounded by paparazzi" whenever they left the house.
Writing as a featured columnist for WSJ magazine's March Women's Style issue, the 'Peppermint' actress said: "How do you adapt your career to your life? That's a big question. Becoming someone who is well known requires an enormous adaptation. Who am I now? How do I go through the world? Then there's having children and, in my case, a career that's a very selfish one. The combination of those things is the largest adaptation of all.
"When I had kids, I started considering how jobs worked for my family. How much am I going to ask of my partner and kids? What's worth it and what isn't?
"Something Ben [Affleck] and I used to say to each other all the time is, 'We have to adapt.' We were surrounded by paparazzi. There were so many things you wouldn't expect. We'd be left alone more at Disneyland than we would at a park in Santa Monica. But if you love something, you'll do whatever you need to do."
Jennifer and Ben finalised their divorce in November, but have remained close in order to effectively co-parent their brood, with sources saying they both want to "put the kids first".
An insider said recently: "Ben and Jen have been dedicated to making sure their divorce doesn't affect their kids. They want to keep the communication healthy so that they can make decisions together in the best interest of their children. It's been wonderful for Jen that Ben has been so present and involved. She wants to do this right and everyone is so incredibly proud of her for rising above the past and putting the kids first."
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