Jennifer Garner shares heartfelt tribute to sisters with rare throwback photos: 'Smashed in the middle'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jennifer Garner took to Instagram on Wednesday, January 29, to share a heartfelt birthday tribute to her sisters, Melissa Lynn Garner and Susannah Kay Garner.
The date falls between their birthdays, Melissa’s on February 5, 1969, and Susannah’s on January 24, 1975.
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Jennifer Garner's tribute to her sisters
The post featured a series of rare throwback photos showcasing their tight-knit sibling bond over the years.
The 'Elektra' actress posted a nostalgic image of the three sisters cuddled together on a boat as teenagers, followed by more cherished memories.
“My sisters’ birthdays fall on either side of this week, just as my sisters landed on either side of me,” Jennifer captioned the post.
“Smashed in the middle, right between Melissa and Susannah, is where I belong—more than any other spot on the planet,” she added.
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Jennifer Garner reflects on the role that defines her
Jennifer Garner continued her tribute by expressing how grateful she is to be the middle child in her family.
“I’m more and more grateful to be the middle Garner Girl, buffered from the world by one big and one little. Happy birthday, Sisters,” she wrote.
Although the actress has taken on many roles throughout her career, she has previously shared that being the “middle Garner girl” is the one that defines her most.
“Being the middle sister of these three girls is the relationship that defines me more than anything else,” she told Southern Living.
"More than being my kids’ mother ... I’m first and foremost the middle Garner girl,” she added.
Jennifer shares three children, Violet, 19, Seraphina, 16, and Samuel, 12, with her ex-husband Ben Affleck.
Jennifer Garner's family of storytellers
Jennifer Garner's mother, Patricia English Garner, also reflected on her daughter’s middle-child role, describing her as the family’s entertainer.
“Being the middle child, she was the clown,” Patricia shared in the Southern Living interview.
She also recalled Jennifer’s early storytelling tendencies, suggesting she might have become a writer.
“I thought Jen would be a writer because she was always making up these little stories,” she said.
“She inherited that trait from my side. My mom was a good storyteller, and my brother was a pretty good liar. He’d tell me, ‘Oh, Pat, there is no story that can’t be made better!’” she added.
Jennifer Garner opens up on the influence of her older sister
Growing up in West Virginia with their parents, Patricia and William John Garner, Jennifer Garner and her sisters were given the freedom to forge their own paths.
However, Jennifer has often credited her older sister Melissa as a significant influence in her life and career.
“If I’m totally honest, I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for the fact that I have this bigger-than-life, incredible older sister,” Jennifer told The Independent in 2009.
“She’s beautiful, and she was valedictorian, got a 1600 on her SATs, and was the head majorette," she added.
Jennifer admitted that growing up in her sister’s shadow pushed her to find her own unique talents, according to People.
“I was just the middle kid, kind of looking for attention,” she said at the time, adding “So that’s what drove me, I think, to do things she wasn’t doing.”
