Jennifer Garner is opening up about a time in her life when acting had to take a back seat as she dealt with major changes at home, including her divorce from Ben Affleck.

In a recent interview with InStyle, published Wednesday, the actress explained that her work slowed down significantly while she focused on raising her children and managing what she described as a difficult period for her family.

"When my kids were little, I worked so little, and then we had such an upheaval in our family, that I really hardly worked for a long time," Garner said.

The "13 Going on 30" star shares three children with Affleck — Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17, and Samuel, 14, EW reported. The former couple married in 2005 and finalized their divorce in 2018 after announcing their separation in 2015.

Garner suggested that the combination of parenting young children and dealing with personal struggles naturally pulled her away from acting projects for years. At the time, she said her priority was stability at home. Film work often meant long schedules and time away from her children, something she found difficult to manage during such a sensitive period.

Jennifer Garner Opens Up About Parenting

Garner also reflected on how parenting during and after the split changed her daily life. She has previously described how raising children in two homes meant she often had to take on both parenting roles at once, which added pressure but also helped her grow.

Despite stepping back, Garner said she never fully left acting behind. As her children got older and more independent, she gradually returned to work, choosing projects that fit her life rather than forcing her life to fit her work.

According to PageSix, she described acting as a demanding job that "is very selfish," adding that it requires full control over one's schedule and often conflicts with school routines, pickups, and family meals. Still, she said she does not regret the balance she had to strike.

"When I work, I don't apologize to my kids for it," she said. "I do thank them for being so sweet about it. But that's part of life. Working hard is part of life, and messing up is part of life."

Garner's comments come years after her divorce from Affleck, who has also spoken publicly about their split, saying they eventually "grew apart."

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Jennifer Garner, Ben Affleck