If you’ve been on TikTok over the last month, you’ve probably stumbled across at least one “Teenage Dirtbag” video. For those who haven’t seen any of these TikToks (or Instagram Reels), it involves a person sharing photos from their teenage years. The first ones were more focused on the contrast between clean-cut adults and their trashy/punk/grungy teen years, with photos often showing people involved in “bad” behavior or just dressed in tacky or inappropriate clothes. However, it’s softened as it’s been shared around. These later ones have spread to celebrities, and that’s where Jennifer Garner comes in.
The 50-year-old Alias and Adam Project actress joined in on the trend in an Aug. 25 TikTok video. The star shared a brief glimpse of herself set to the 2000 Wheatus song “Teenage Dirtbag” before sharing a montage of images from her youth. In the adorable shots, the A-list actress is shown more modestly than her current celebrity status would suggest.
Videos by PopCulture.com
She’s shown as a member of the school band and dressed as a nun and Dorothy from Wizard of Oz for amateur theatre productions. She’s also shown in oversized men’s clothes and performing ballet moves. It’s a short but joyful clip that TikTok users loved. It’s been seen more than 11 million times on the platform, and more than 1.8 million users have “liked” the video.” The 13 Going on 30 actress also shared the clip on Instagram, where it was “liked” 1.4 million times.
Garner has resurfaced in the public eye as of late due to both her social media presence and her connection to Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. Affleck is Garner’s ex-husband, and they share three children together. With Affleck rekindling his romance with Lopez, Garner’s name often gets roped into the goings-on of their personal life. However, she’s also been trying to get the word out there about causes in need.
In August, she spoke with Today about the recent floods in Kentucky and how so many people still need basic necessities in order to survive.
“They need basic necessities,” Garner said, per Southern Living. “They need water, they need somewhere to live, they need schools to be up and running. These kids need to go to school.” You can find out more about Garner’s work in Kentucky and the area’s current crisis on the Save the Children Facebook page.
