Jennifer Garner and Sheryl Lee Ralph talk maintaining healthy relationships with exes for their kids

Not everyone can be friends with their exes and that's okay to have boundaries. However, it can be harder when you share children with an ex. Some celebrities are working on co-parenting their kids by maintaining a healthy relationship with their former partners. Jennifer Garner and Sheryl Lee Ralph recently realized they both have that in common. Garner, 51, and Ralph, 66, say they have many similarities; especially when it comes to parenting.

“We have so many things in common,” the "Abbott Elementary" star told Garner during an episode of Variety’s Actors on Actors series posted on June 10. “With all the celebrity and all of that, I feel like I have a very normal life, and I think you have that similar sort of vibe. And we love our kids.” The "13 going on 30" star agreed and said, “And all the mess of parenting. It’s a gift.”

“And both of us having gone through divorce," Ralph added. "You did something that I did as well—maintain a healthy relationship with my ex for the health and well-being of my children. With the spotlight on us all the time, sometimes that can be difficult. But when I look at my kids, when I see you and your kids, I was like, 'Girl, we did that.'” Garner affirmed, "We’re doing it! We do have so many similarities."

Ralph married Eric Maurice in 1990 and the pair split in 2001. They share 31-year-old son and actor, Etienne Maurice, and 28-year-old daughter and stylist, Ivy-Victoria Maurice. Garner and Ben Affleck were married for over 10 years since 2005 and share three children: Violet, 17, Seraphina, 14, and Samuel, 11, according to TODAY. They split in 2015 and finalized their divorce in 2018.

Over the years, Affleck has been open about his struggle with alcohol addiction during his marriage to Garner. During an appearance on the Howard Stern Show, the "Argo" star spoke about some of the dark days of his life, reports PEOPLE. He confessed that the reason his marriage didn't work was because the former couple "grew apart." "The truth was, we took our time, we made the decision... We grew apart," Affleck explained.

The actor said he also felt “trapped” in his marriage, which led him to drink. "We had a marriage that didn't work, this happens, with somebody that I love and respect, but to whom I shouldn't be married any longer. Ultimately, we tried. We tried, we tried because we had kids. Both of us felt like we don't want this to be the model that our kids see of marriage." 

The two have moved on from each other but remain on good terms, especially for their children. "My responsibility to my children is the highest responsibility. I don't want to do anything that is painful or destructive to them if I can help it. That being said, I know that my life affects them," Affleck told Stern. Affleck later found love again with his ex, Jennifer Lopez. 

In 2019, the Oscar winner praised Garner, saying he felt lucky to have her as the mother of his children. "When somebody's the mother of your kids, they're going to be the most important central person in your life, and that's good," he said on TODAY at the time. "I hope I'm a pretty good dad. I certainly try very hard. I'm lucky they got a great mom, and she helps out a great deal with making sure that we co-parent in as good a way as possible."