00:00I panicked when I was first out of my marriage and realized I had taken such a step back
00:06in my work. Suddenly I realized like, I don't know how long I'll be able to work. It's not,
00:11this isn't a career that's like, hey, you're 60, you're 55, you're 43. Come on, let's pay you more
00:17than you've ever made. You know what I mean? That's not been traditionally the role. And I
00:21was suddenly like, wait a minute, I have to take care of myself. I have to take care of these
00:26kids.
00:27That's Jennifer Gardner on the Aspire podcast, opening up about her career and yet
00:31even her finances during her split from Ben Affleck. The 54-year-old actress told host Emma
00:36Greedy that she was panicked about money and she was worried about her career in Hollywood
00:41since the industry is known for ageism. She also became concerned about picking up acting roles
00:46as a single mom since she could no longer leave her kids for six months at a time and film
00:51in
00:51far-off locations away from Los Angeles. Jennifer Gardner rose to fame in the early 2000s
00:56leading the action-packed TV series Alias. During that era, she starred in the comedy
01:0113 Going on 30 and played the Marvel superhero Electra twice on the big screen. That's when
01:07things got romantic with her future husband and co-star Ben Affleck, who played the devilish
01:12Daredevil. The two got married in 2005 and their first kid arrived that December. That's when
01:18Jen stepped away from the spotlight to raise their children. Violet is now 20, Serafina 17,
01:23and Samuel is 13. Cut to June 2015, Ben and Jen officially announced their separation after 10
01:31years of marriage. The actress now says around that time, fear crept in about being able to maintain the
01:36same lifestyle she had while married to Ben, especially for her kids. She said,
01:42It's not like you can just unfamous yourself. Life is expensive, and you still have to kind of figure
01:47out how you're going to live. And just because you're well known by people does not mean there
01:52is some great living being provided for you. Jen said this realization is what inspired her to start
01:57working with organic kids and baby food company Once Upon a Farm. She has held the brand officer and
02:02co-founder positions since 2017. The company went public in February at a $724 million valuation, and she earned
02:11$1 million annually last year, according to Fortune. On top of that, Jen is expected to make $2 to $3
02:17million per year through 2028, according to the outlet. She's a working mom. Jen is currently starring in
02:23Peacock's hit series, The Five Star Weekend, which just got renewed for a second season.
