jennifer garner: Kids Call Mom 'Cringe' and Skip Watching Her Shows, She Says
Jennifer Garner revealed that her three children often find their mom embarrassing and prefer not to watch her work — even when she asks. The revelation came during a Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 interview with host Jennifer Hudson (ET), where Garner shared candid details about parenting, fame and how colleagues sometimes rescue her reputation at home.
Kids say 'fully cringe' — and don't want to tune in
Garner, 53, said her eldest daughter Violet, 20, middle child Seraphina, 17, and youngest son Samuel, 13, are blunt about how they feel when their mother appears on screen. "They think I'm fully cringe, " she said, recounting a recent exchange in which she asked whether they would watch the upcoming season of her show. Their reply: "Do you need us to?"
She explained that children typically don't want to see their parents in vulnerable moments. "Kids don't want to see their parents... right? They don't want to see us cry, or see us have a romantic scene, anything. We're just embarrassing, " Garner said. She added self-deprecatingly, "I am only embarrassing, " capturing the uneasy mix of pride and mortification many celebrity parents describe.
Costars score 'cool points' where mom doesn't
Despite her kids' reluctance to become viewers, Garner said she does get "cool points" from them through certain co-stars. She singled out a young costar named Angourie, who earns parental approval, and praised a colleague many of her children adore, dubbing her "Aunt Judy. " The actress said that close off-screen friendships — and friendly nicknames — help bridge the gap between a parent's public life and a child's private embarrassment.
Garner also pointed to the influence of her son Samuel's current interests. "Samuel is really into Game of Thrones right now, " she said, noting that a fellow cast member who starred in that series helped boost her credibility at home. "Thank you, " Garner added to that costar and gave a shout-out to her friend Judy Greer, who she said all of her kids "love. " The comments highlighted how shared pop-culture touchstones and warm personal connections can soften the sting of parental cringe.
What Garner's admission reveals about celebrity parenting
Garner's remarks underscore a familiar dynamic for public figures: children want to carve out their own social identities and often distance themselves from parents' public personas. Her account is both frank and playful — she joked about needing help from friends to maintain her standing with her children, telling the room she "gets by with a little help from my friends. "
At the same time, Garner's openness about family life brings relief to other parents navigating similar territory. The balance between professional visibility and private family boundaries is delicate, and Garner's experience illustrates that humor, humility and trusted allies — whether on set or off — can make it easier to accept that, for kids, seeing Mom on screen is often more awkward than impressive.
Garner's comments offer a snapshot of how fame and family intersect in ordinary, sometimes uncomfortable ways. Even as she continues to headline projects, at home she remains, in her kids' eyes, very much their mom — and therefore, embarrassingly human.
