Breaking News: Jennifer Garner and the day she ended up comforting a director after being told she was splitting from Ben Affleck…. See More

Jennifer Garner has remained close to Ben Affleck, even though they separated for good in 2016

Filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld, known for blockbuster hits like Men in Black and The Addams Family, revealed a moment when he had to reprimand actress Jennifer Garner on the last day of
filming the 2016 comedy Nine Lives.

He noticed that Garner seemed a bit distant due to frequent trips to Los Angeles during filming, where she was helping her then-husband Ben Affleck, who was “going through some problems.”

In his memoir Best Possible Place, Worst Possible Time, Sonnenfeld recounts how Garner broke down in tears after confessing to him that she and Affleck were going to separate. However, the actress quickly composed herself and reassured him, saying, “Everything is going to be fine. It’s for the best.”

“I don’t know who was more confused,” Sonnenfeld writes, “the 300 extras wondering what that kind Mrs. Garner had said to Mr. Barry to make him so upset, or Jennifer herself, who found herself having to play the calm one after I somehow became the aggrieved party in that conversation,” he admitted.

Sonnenfeld’s Account of That Difficult Moment with Garner
Sonnenfeld describes in the book the challenging moment with the actress as she was dealing with a personal crisis but still remained composed: “Jennifer Garner is a beautiful person inside and out. Whenever possible, she flew back to Los Angeles, where she was dealing with her husband, Ben.”

He added: “On her last day of shooting, Jennifer seemed a little off. We were in a large ballroom with hundreds of extras. I pulled her aside and asked if everything was okay. Behind her, far off, were hundreds of extras.”

He noted that the actress admitted she wasn’t in a good place, saying, “Ben and Jennifer had decided the night before to get divorced. I started to cry, and she told me, ‘It’s okay, Barry. Everything is going to be fine.’ How could it be? I lamented.

“Shhh. It’s okay [Garner responded]. Everything is going to be fine. It’s for the best.” “I don’t think so,” I howled.

In July, British newspaper DailyMail.com reported that Garner decided to distance herself from the “circus” surrounding Affleck’s marriage to Jennifer Lopez, which barely lasted a year amidst continuous scandals.

Garner and Affleck were married for 10 years before divorcing in 2018. They share three children: Violet, 18, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12.

Other Toxic Actors Sonnenfeld Worked With
Sonnenfeld also shares in the book that he had difficulties working with Garner’s co-star, Kevin Spacey, who has been embroiled in sexual misconduct scandals.

“It wasn’t fun working with Kevin,” he writes. “He was mean, unhelpful, critical of other actors, and had the kind of personality I tried to keep off the set as much as possible.”

He faced similar issues with actor Tim Allen on the set of the 2002 comedy Big Trouble, which was a box office flop: “Tim was a difficult guy to handle on set,” Sonnenfeld writes. “He was loud, his jokes were repetitive, and sometimes mean-spirited.”

Sonnenfeld recalls an incident where Allen bizarrely told his co-star René Russo, one of the most successful actresses of the time, “I’m not attracted to you.”

“We were filming the scene where René and Tim’s characters meet for the first time. It’s important that there’s instant chemistry between them,” Sonnenfeld added.

The director remembers telling Allen, “Hey Tim, you need to fall instantly in love with René,” to which Allen responded, “Why should I?” Sonnenfeld explained,

Well, she’s beautiful, and in the previous scene where you first see her, she was funny and witty…”

“I’m not attracted to her,” Allen said, referring to one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever worked with.

“I’ll make myself attractive, Tim. I promise,” René whispered in a sultry Marilyn Monroe voice. [Allen replied], “It’s hard to act attracted to someone if they’re not attractive.”
Sonnenfeld recalls telling Allen, “You’re an actor, Tim. Pretend like you’re attracted to one of the most beautiful women in the world. Got it?” “I’ll try,” Allen said.

“I apologized to René, who seemed more amused than hurt by this awful human being, and we managed to finish the shoot