Jennifer Garner Shares Heartbreaking Story About Her Son and the Paparazzi

Sometimes there is collateral damage that comes with fame. Jennifer Garner appeared on The Dr. Oz Show on Wednesday and discussed the impact her fame has had on her children. “Oh, we used to have six cars outside of our house from 6 a.m. until the end of the day, every day,” Garner told Dr. Oz. “And on weekends, it would be 15 to 20.” Garner’s youngest son, Samuel, struggles the most with the media’s attention. “He hates them the most — he hates them. And every time he sees the cameras, which is still every day, he says, ‘I don’t like that,’” Garner said, quoting her son. “‘There are two things I don’t like, Mom. I don’t like cameras, I don’t like men with cameras, and I don’t like being laughed at. I don’t like if I feel like you’re laughing at me.’”

In 2013, Garner and actress Halle Berry championed California Senate Bill 606, which increased penalties for paparazzi or individuals who photograph children of public figures. Even though the paparazzi still come around, Garner said she has found that the best way to comfort her child is to explain that although the paparazzi can be unnerving, he is not in harm’s way. “I say, ‘I can control not laughing at you’ — although he is so funny — but we have to talk about the fact that ‘they can’t hurt you. They can’t touch you. They’re far away,’” Garner said. “‘We can’t make them go away. We just have to live our lives, son, and do the best we can.’”

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