When Jennifer Garner told Vanity Fair that she “looks forward to having a sense of humor” again after her divorce from Ben Affleck, I thought, “If this interview is any indication, then she is well on her way.” I’ve read a lot of Jennifer Garner interviews over the years, and her sweet disposition always makes my teeth ache, but it’s usually bogged down by the burdens of the back-and-forth and her presumably busy schedule managing a marriage and three kids. This interview is different. She’s clearly in pain and willing to give an honest account of how her marriage broke down — but she’s bubbly, and it floats to the surface. Much like Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Nicole Kidman, she also has a great zinger for her ex, insulting his newest tattoo, saying, “You know what we would say in my hometown about that? ‘Bless his heart.’ A phoenix rising from the ashes. Am I the ashes in this scenario?” So how does she manage losing the man she calls “the love of her life” along with “the dream of dancing with [her] husband at my daughter’s wedding?” With Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, of course. And speaking of dancing, it’s a common theme throughout the interview, which is no surprise since she danced for “six hours a day” as a child. And in another hilarious quote she says, “My cross to bear is that my children have no interest in ballet. I think they could smell how much I wanted to put their hair in a bun.” While she didn’t give a direct reason for the demise of her marriage, I think this quote about Affleck sums it up: ‘When his sun shines on you, you feel it.’ But when the sun is shining elsewhere, it’s cold. He can cast quite a shadow.” Head to Vanity Fair for more.
