Jennifer Garner’s Teen Fin, 16, Channels Dad Ben Affleck in Rare Public Outing—See the Photos

Los Angeles — Jennifer Garner is back in the headlines for all the right reasons. The 53-year-old actress spent her weekend loading up her car with brown paper bags and personally delivering nutritious meals to children around Los Angeles as part of A Million Meals, the hunger-relief initiative she co-founded through her organic baby-food company Once Upon a Farm and Save the Children. The hands-on charity run comes at a pivotal moment in Garner’s busy fall. Industry sources confirm that the Alias alum is quietly finalizing wedding plans with longtime boyfriend John Miller after accepting his proposal earlier this year, a milestone that insiders say has been “bittersweet” for ex-husband Ben Affleck, who is reportedly finding the looming nuptials “hard to stomach” even as he and Garner continue smooth co-parenting of their three children. Fashion watchers also can’t stop talking about Garner’s effortless autumn style. In a recent Instagram Story she slipped on a navy, cable-knit polo sweater—an elevated take on the Grandpa staple that’s dominating search pages this week. Retailers reported an immediate spike in “polo-collar sweater” queries after the photo dropped, proof that the actress still wields Alias-level impact on closets everywhere. Away from red carpets, the Texas-born star keeps fans smiling with her addictive “Pretend Cooking Show” clips. October’s viral episode featured Garner and her mother whipping up a cheesy chicken-enchilada casserole—a comforting nod to her small-town roots that racked up millions of views within 48 hours and pushed Once Upon a Farm’s pantry line to record weekly sales. Why the renewed fascination with Jennifer Garner? Entertainment analysts point to her balancing act: top-tier Hollywood résumé, down-to-earth parenting moments, philanthropic street-cred, and a feel-good romance unfolding in real time. It’s a cocktail that keeps streaming platforms courting her for family-friendly projects while news outlets chase every candid grocery-run photo. What’s next? Production sources say Garner will begin filming the Netflix holiday comedy Mrs. Claus on Parade in early November, overlapping with preparations for her intimate California wedding. Meanwhile, A Million Meals aims to hit its goal of delivering 10 million lunches before year-end—a target Garner insists is “the role that matters most.” With charitable boots on the ground, viral sweaters on social feeds, and wedding bells on the horizon, Jennifer Garner is proving once again that America’s favorite girl-next-door still owns the spotlight—and she’s using it to feed much more than search-engine curiosity.