Ben Affleck has been making headlines for the past few years for speaking candidly about his struggles with alcoholism in the wake of a public divorce from Jennifer Garner in 2018. Affleck is back in the news for his recent statements in an interview for The New York Times in which he admitted that his divorce from Garner was among his greatest regrets.
Affleck was married to Garner for over 10 years and shares three children with her. He explained to The New York Times how his struggle with alcohol affected his marriage.
“I drank relatively normally for a long time,” he said. “What happened was that I started drinking more and more when my marriage was falling apart. This was 2015, 2016. My drinking, of course, created more marital problems,” Affleck said.
“The biggest regret of my life is this divorce,” he continued. “Shame is really toxic. There is no positive byproduct of shame. It’s just stewing in a toxic, hideous feeling of low self-worth and self-loathing.”
Affleck explained that he struggled with his role as a farther during their separation, stating, “there’s that moment when you have to tell your kids, ‘Hey we’re breaking up,’ and that kind of shatters their world — that was very painful.”
Affleck has since entered rehab multiple times for his alcoholism, revealing that it was Garner who staged intervention when he most recently sought help.
Regarding Garner’s current impact on his life and the life of his children, Affleck says she is a great co-parent.
“Jen’s a great mom, she’s been very cooperative co-parenting,” Affleck said. “We both understand that’s what’s most important for the parents of divorced kids is for the children to see the parents respect one another and treat one another with respect. I think you can learn a lot about a man’s character in how they treat the mother of their children.”
“I wish her the best and she is very supportive and helpful,” he added. “We get along in a very fluid way.”
Photo Source: Vanity Fair
