Jennifer Garner Has The Best Reaction To Her Kids' Teasing Nickname

Hollywood A-listers are quite accustomed to all sorts of public reactions — from outright gushing to blatant bashing. Female celebs, in particular, get flak for their looks, especially after they hit midlife. Despite her insistence that she's just aging gracefully, Reese Witherspoon can't stop plastic surgery rumors from followers who accuse her of trying too hard to defy her years. Her equally adored peer, Jennifer Garner, just confessed that she gets teased for her age, too — but from a very different set of critics.

Speaking to Chloë Sevigny for Elle (via YouTube), Garner revealed that her children — Violet, Fin, and Samuel — call her "The Crone," a clear dig at her age. "I'll hear them talking about me and they'll be like, 'Where's The Crone?' [and] 'Ah, The Crone sits.'" Rather than feeling hurt or insulted, "it cracks me up," she said. In fact, "The Five-Star Weekend" star sees it as a positive sign that the kids feel comfortable enough with her and with one another to team up for a loving joke. Garner did, however, note that their ages make the jibing more acceptable. All of her kids are in their teens or older and an affectionate jab at Mom from a high-schooler hits differently than one from a much younger child. Garner told Sevigny, whose son Vanja was born in 2020, "[I]f they had done that at your son's age, I would have been like, 'Excuse me?!'" 

The fact that the younger Afflecks can maintain a sense of humor at all is impressive. Garner has said that fame has taken a heavy toll on her kids, citing the many times eager paparazzi have intruded on their privacy.

"Being called The Crone is really one of my favorite things," Jennifer Garner told Chloé Sevigny in their Elle chat discussing the reboot of her film "13 Going on 30." Her trio of children with ex-husband Ben Affleck may love reminding her that she's no longer 13 (or 30, for that matter) but it doesn't get under her skin because she's happy about it, too. Garner's skincare routine goes a long way toward keeping her looks ageless, but her attitude is the true key to her beauty.

In June 2025, Garner told Harper's Bazaar she was proud to have just turned 53. "I don't want to be younger. I'm very grateful to be exactly this age," the "Alias" actor declared. "I'm trying to soak it up. I feel like I'm living in my power. I'm living in my wisdom. I'm living in my joy and my capacity to do and get things done." 

Samuel, Fin, and Violet may be complimenting their mom without even realizing it. Although the word "crone" has come to mean an old, ugly woman, it originated in ancient folklore as the female embodiment of wisdom, self-acceptance, and transformation. Today, practicing pagans celebrate a woman's crone stage of life with ceremonies honoring them and their ancestors. As a true crone, Garner doesn't stress over every new wrinkle she sees. She explained to the outlet that not only does she want to live to the century mark, "I want to wear every single bit of those 100 years and feel great about them." By then, she'll be able to dish those "crone" jokes right back at her kids!