They were beaming. Dressed casually in sweatpants and sneakers, Jennifer Garner’s dimples blossomed as she gazed at John Miller, who was equally dressed down in joggers and a New York Yankees tee. They looked like any other couple enjoying a few sweet moments of connection on a lazy Saturday morning as they walked down a quiet street in Santa Monica, California, on April 27, chatting and laughing away.
The outing marked a rare moment for the deeply private couple. Six years after they first got together, Jen and John are “seriously in love,” a source exclusively tells Life & Style, and in a place where they’re “comfortable going out in public more than ever.” That, Life & Style has learned, is because they’re finally ready to walk down the aisle after a lengthy — and secret — engagement.
After two failed marriages and almost nine years of being a single mom to the three children she shares with second husband Ben Affleck, Jen, 52, is getting her happily ever after with John. “They are perfect for each other,” says the source. “John really is her other half. She’s told friends, ‘I’ve never known love like this!’”
Post-divorce, Jen has been coy about her love life. Three years ago, the Alias alum said she didn’t think she’d be single forever, though she wasn’t certain another marriage was her endgame. Proudly self-sufficient, she confessed to Allure, “I really love my solo life.” That changed a few years ago, when a proposal came from the Stanford Law graduate turned businessman, who runs a chain of about 50 CaliBurger restaurants worldwide as the CEO of CaliGroup.
Jen couldn’t say no, says a second source, and was blown away by the romantic proposal. “John spent a long time making Jen an engagement ring and gave it to her two years ago, around April 2022, which is when she turned 50,” the second source explains, noting that privacy-loving Jen has tried not to wear her sparkler in public — though she’s slipped a few times.
Now plans for the big event are taking shape. The star — who delights fans with her fake cooking show on Instagram — will keep it simple. Jen’s first wedding, to actor Scott Foley, 51, saw them exchange vows in their backyard. Her second, to Ben, 51, was just them and two friends on a beach in Turks and Caicos. The 13 Going on 30 star won’t go big for her third, either. “John has land in Malibu,” says another insider, hinting, “It might happen there.”
Think: small, intimate, no drama. Though John has a good relationship with his former spouse, violinist Caroline Campbell, and Jen gets along with Ben and his new wife, Jennifer Lopez, 54, the source says neither will be there. “It would be awkward to have Ben at the wedding because Jen would have to invite J.Lo. And Jen and John don’t want to invite any more publicity than necessary, they want no distractions,” says the source. “This is their special day. They’re much more low-key and want to keep their wedding private.”
Their Joyful Journey
The four-time Emmy nominee’s relationship with John was just what she asked for. Two years before she started dating him in 2018 — shortly before finalizing her divorce from Ben — Jen mused about what she’d want in a man someday. “I don’t know. It’s just that [from] everyone that I know that is dating it just seems, well… Men don’t call anymore…” she told Vanity Fair
After the tumultuous end of her marriage to Ben, John was a breath of fresh air. “He loves to shower her with gifts,” says the insider. “He’s romantic.” Whereas she was still driving Ben to rehab even after their split, John was a steady presence. “They can be old-fashioned,” says a source. “They write notes to each other.”
He, too, was in the final stages of a divorce and learning how to coparent — he and Caroline share a daughter, Violet, 15, and a son, Quest, 17. And like Jen — who also has a daughter named Violet, 18, plus kids Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12, with Ben — John valued normalcy and always put his family first. “He’s very prudent and doesn’t gamble, unlike Ben, and doesn’t spend excessively,” says the source.
Blended Family
John and ex Caroline, a violinist, “are cordial and respect each other’s boundaries” as they coparent their teens, says a source. They’ve had their rough patches, breaking up briefly in 2020 amid pandemic chaos, but made their way back to each other by the following year.
Six years in, the pair have found a good rhythm. “They do birthday parties at home with their kids and act like a normal blended family doing everyday things —getting ice cream, cooking dinner, just being together,” shares the insider. “But as much time as they spend together, they’re also secretive about most of their meetups, maybe grabbing a quick glass of wine or dinner at odd hours so they’re not seen. When they go away together, they fly private, so nobody sees them.”
As happy as they are, Jen and John are also practical. “Jen wants a prenup,” says the source, “and John has no problem signing one — he’s not intimidated and isn’t marrying Jen for her fortune,” which is estimated at $80 million. “Jen is sure John’s The One and that this marriage is going to last, but she’s wise enough to know there are no guarantees.” She’s willing to take this chance. After years of prioritizing her children and creating a stable home for them, she’s now in a place where she feels she can focus on her own happiness. “John is attentive and kind,” says the source. “He’s a great guy who loves and values her. She deserves this.”
