Ben Affleck isn’t only a famous Hollywood actor; he’s also a man in pain. Images of him drinking and smoking outside while looking depressed have become memes of misery.
Now, he’s opening up about his former marriage to actress Jennifer Garner and he has some pretty harsh accusations about it. The internet is divided as to who’s in the right, but one thing that’s clear is there’s no love lost between the two.
Here’s what he’s saying…
What Happened?
Affleck says his marriage to Garner was not a fun time. They married in 2005, divorced in 2018, and have three kids.
Affleck, who is 49, said the marriage left him feeling “trapped” because he didn’t want to abandon his kids, but he also felt unhappy in the marriage. For this reason, Affleck said he started drinking heavily.
This ended up not being the “solution,” as Affleck now says (who would have thought?). He ended up in rehab in 2018, the same year his marriage ended, with photos splashing across the internet of Garner driving him to the facility.
Ben Affleck talks to Howard Stern about how being "trapped” in marriage to Jennifer Garner led him to drinking:
“I was like, ‘I can't leave because of my kids, but I'm not happy, what do I do?' And what I did was [I] drank a bottle of scotch & fell asleep on the couch,” pic.twitter.com/P6ElVpRLyG
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) December 14, 2021
Affleck Opens Up More
Talking to radio shock jock Howard Stern, Affleck also opened up more, saying he and Garner did their best to work on their marriage so their kids Seraphina, Samuel, and Violet would be happy.
Sadly, however, they were ultimately unsuccessful and split in 2018, as Affleck’s alcoholism spiraled out of control. Affleck says what the paparazzi expressed about him and Garner and their split was “bulls**t.”
There was no big dramatic breakup or hate for each other, even though Affleck admits they did get angry a few times and fight. Affleck said their attraction to each other simply waned and they stopped wanting to be together, even though he still “loves” and “respects” Garner.
Ben Affleck: I would've 'still' been drinking if I stayed married to Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Garner: *helps him to rehab 3 full years after they’ve already separated * pic.twitter.com/9StRYJ7tWI— Cecily (@chicagobonjour) December 14, 2021
Affleck’s Current Relationship Status: Not Single
Affleck says he’s now off the booze and has quit it for good. He said he hasn’t drank once since getting out of rehab. Furthermore, he’s now dating Jennifer Lopez, with whom he starred with in one of my favorite films that was widely hated: Gigli.
Remember that Lopez and Affleck were engaged a couple of decades ago, so this is really a return to the Bennifer days of old. Let’s hope that this time around, things go a little better for them than last time.
By all accounts, it sounds like Ben Affleck really has quit drinking, but it’s clear that relationships don’t exactly come easy to him.
Lopez and he rekindled their old flame earlier this year and they still look like they’re going strong. Both of them bring a lot to the table, but they also both have their fair share of baggage; that’s for sure.
Let’s hope it lasts.
