Ben Affleck has candidly mirrored on the backlash he confronted after he appeared to partially blame his struggles with alcoholism on his marriage to Jennifer Garner, with the actor clarifying that his “behaviour is [his] accountability fully”.
The Air star, 50, sparked criticism in December 2021 when he informed Howard Stern that he’d felt “trapped” throughout his marriage to Garner, and that it was “a part of why” he’d began consuming alcohol.
“We had a wedding that didn’t work,” Affleck informed Stern. “This occurs. It was someone I really like and respect however to whom I shouldn’t be married any longer … what I did was [I] drank a bottle of scotch and fell asleep on the sofa, which turned out to not be the answer.”
On the time, the actor, who was married to Garner from 2005 to 2018, then famous that they’d made the correct resolution ending their marriage, as they’d “most likely be at one another’s throats” and he’d “most likely nonetheless be consuming”.
“A part of why I began consuming alcohol was as a result of I felt trapped,” he informed Stern.
Affleck mirrored on the backlash he confronted over the feedback, which he described as a “actually painful expertise,” in a brand new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the place he recommended that the revelations have been taken out of context, and have been “really the alternative of what [he] meant”.
The actor opened up concerning the expertise after he was requested why he’s not on social media, with Affleck explaining that he’s turn into “very guarded” and now views the platforms and interviews as “land mines, the place should you say one fallacious factor, your profession is likely to be over”.
After the interviewer questioned whether or not Affleck was referring to the interview with Stern, the Deep Water star confirmed he was addressing the “concept that I used to be blaming my [ex] spouse for my consuming”.
“To be clear, my behaviour is my accountability fully. The purpose that I used to be attempting to make was a tragic one,” Affleck defined. “Anybody who’s been by way of divorce makes that calculus of, How a lot can we attempt? We liked one another. We care about one another. We’ve got respect for one another.
“I used to be attempting to say: ‘Hey, look, I used to be consuming an excessive amount of, and the much less completely satisfied you turn into, whether or not it’s your job, your marriage, it’s simply that as your life turns into tougher, should you’re doing issues to fill a gap that aren’t wholesome, you’re going to begin doing extra of these issues.’”
In keeping with Affleck, he thought he was “fairly articulate” about his that means throughout his interview with Stern. Nevertheless, he claimed that his feedback have been then “intentionally mischaracterised with the intention to make it clickbait”.
“And everybody else then picked it up, and it didn’t matter what number of occasions I stated: ‘I don’t really feel this manner. I’m telling you, I don’t blame my ex-wife for my alcoholism,’” the actor continued. “So, yeah. It’s laborious.”
Though Affleck stated he’s nonetheless cautious of interviews, he stated that his spouse Jennifer Lopez’s assist and encouragement has been useful.
In keeping with the actor, forward of his interview with the outlet, Lopez informed him to “chill out,” “be himself,” and “have enjoyable,” and reminded him that he’s a “enjoyable man who’s actual and real,” even when he usually comes throughout as “severe”.
Whereas reflecting on his spouse’s recommendation, Affleck jokingly requested: “Do I appear severe?” earlier than noting that Lopez is “actually proper” and that he can be smart to hearken to her.
“However as in lots of issues, she’s actually proper. And she or he loves me. She’s looking for me. She’s attempting to assist me. So it’s like, possibly I must f**king hearken to her,” he stated.
This isn’t the primary time that Affleck has hit again on the claims that he blamed his marriage to Garner for his consuming, because the actor revealed throughout an interview with Jimmy Kimmel in December 2021 that he believes his phrases have been twisted, and that it “damage [his] emotions”.
“We talked rather a lot about my household, you recognize, alcoholism, scuffling with actual issues, how you need to be accountable and loving, how I work with my ex-wife, how I’m so pleased with the best way we work collectively for our youngsters, the very best that we will for them,” he stated on Jimmy Kimmel Stay.
“I used to be thrilled,” he stated of the interview with Stern. “I believed: ‘Wow, I ought to do extra sincere, exploratory, self-evaluating issues.’ Then I begin seeing all these things come up on Twitter. And I used to be like: ‘What is that this?’”
On the time, Affleck claimed that the best way his feedback have been interpreted by one web site made him out to be “the worst, most insensitive, silly, terrible man,” even if he’d informed Stern how a lot he and Garner “revered one another, cared about one another, cared about our youngsters, put them first”.
Affleck and Garner, who share kids Violet, 17, Seraphina, 13, and Samuel, 10, separated in 2015 after 10 years of marriage. The movie star couple formally divorced in 2018, the identical 12 months Affleck went to rehab for alcoholism.
The Gone Woman star later rekindled his romance with Lopez, who he was engaged to within the early 2000s, with the couple tying the knot in July 2022.
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