Jennifer Garner says she panicked about money after her divorce. It inspired her career pivot at 45.

Even pinch a Golden Globe and a decadeslong Hollywood career, Jennifer Garner says divorcement made her panic astir her financial future.

Joining Skims founding partner and entrepreneur Emma Grede connected her "Aspire pinch Emma Grede" podcast connected Tuesday, the "Alias" character said astir really her 2018 headline-making divorce from Ben Affleck prompted her to reevaluate profession choices.

"I panicked erstwhile I was first retired of my matrimony and realized I had taken specified a measurement backmost successful my work," Garner said. "Suddenly, I realized, like, I don't cognize really agelong I'll beryllium capable to work."

Garner said portion of her worry came from knowing that Hollywood isn't needfully an manufacture wherever women — nary matter really accomplished — tin expect their earning powerfulness to summation arsenic they get older.

"I was abruptly like, 'Wait a minute. I person to return attraction of myself. I person to return attraction of these kids.' I didn't get immoderate immense payout, truthful what is it gonna be?" Garner said connected the podcast.

Garner had to deliberation strategically astir what her activity could look like

The "Five Star Weekend" character said she and her longtime manager, Nicole King of Linden Entertainment, began considering ways she could proceed earning without sacrificing the clip she wanted to walk pinch her children.

Money, which Garner said she hadn't antecedently spent overmuch clip reasoning about, abruptly became a overmuch bigger information successful her career and life decisions, including which acting jobs she could return and which business opportunities to pursue.

"Just because you're well-known by group does not mean that location is immoderate awesome surviving being provided for you," Garner said. "It became very superior to maine really quickly arsenic personification who had ne'er fixed a batch of thought to money. Like, oh, I request to beryllium an earner here."

Garner recovered caller earning powerfulness done entrepreneurship

In 2017, aft Garner and Affleck had separated but earlier their divorcement was finalized, Garner joined the children's integrated nutrient institution Once Upon a Farm arsenic a cofounder alongside Cassandra Curtis, Ari Raz, and erstwhile Annie's CEO John Foraker.

Garner said Once Upon a Farm was a large portion of her long-term play arsenic she and her head became much deliberate astir building the adjacent shape of her career.

She became 1 of the company's astir visible faces astatine 45 years old, helping move what began arsenic a refrigerated baby-food business into a nationalist children's nutrient brand.

Just awkward of a decade later, that stake has go a important 2nd enactment successful Garner's career. Once Upon a Farm went nationalist successful February 2026, and second-quarter nett sales roseate 42% twelvemonth complete twelvemonth to $85.4 million.

Once Upon a Farm's family penetration complaint arsenic of precocious June was 6.2%, up from 5% a twelvemonth earlier. The institution now expects nett income betwixt $327 cardinal and $335 cardinal for the afloat year, according to its latest net report.

Although Garner returned to the mini surface this twelvemonth successful Peacock's "Five Star Weekend," the company's trajectory yet gave Garner thing she had worried Hollywood mightiness not: different avenue to turn a profession and gain arsenic she sewage older.