Jennifer Garner has developed a "Stockholm syndrome thing" with the paparazzo who has followed her for the past two decades.
During the latest episode of the Shut Up Evan podcast, host Evan Ross Katz asked the 13 Going on 30 actress whether tabloid photographers have left her alone since she started campaigning for tougher anti-paparazzi laws designed to protect the children of celebrities.
Garner and Halle Berry testified before the California Assembly Judiciary Committee in August 2013, with the bill passed later that year.
In response, the Alias star shared that she has two photographers that follow her most days, with one "main guy" that she's grown to have an "odd respect" for.
"Like, there's kind of a Stockholm syndrome thing," she said. "And at the same time, I've called the cops on him a million times and been like, 'Can you please just give me a walk around the block with my kids and my dog?'"
Stockholm syndrome refers to when a kidnapped person forms a psychological connection with their captor and starts to sympathise with them.
Yet, Garner recalled a time in which she had a "real-life moment" with the same paparazzo.
"I was followed by someone who, for whatever reason, I thought was going to hurt me, and I ran to him because I knew him and trusted him, and I knew that he and I would be OK," the 54-year-old continued.
And while Garner acknowledged her privilege, she emphasised that she faced many terrifying moments when her children were little.
The actress shares Violet, 20, Fin, 17, and Samuel, 14, with ex-husband Ben Affleck.
"If I went through a yellow light, 15 cars would go through the red behind me," she added. "They would drive up onto people's lawns, even on a hillside. We were trying to have our little one play soccer, and the association asked us to stop because there were 20 cars coming. So, it wasn't just about us. It was just an industry that had gotten out of control."
Garner is currently promoting the TV series The Five Star Weekend, which is now streaming via Peacock.
