Ben Affleck slammed for saying he drank while ‘trapped’ in marriage to Jennifer Garner
The actor, who has been open about his alcoholism, made comments that had some fans scratching their heads.
Ben Affleck has raised eyebrows over comments he made regarding his drinking while married to Jennifer Garner.
“That’s part of why I started drinking…because I was trapped,” the Oscar-winning actor said Tuesday in an interview with “The Howard Stern Show.”
Affleck, who has been open about his alcoholism, starred with Garner in “Daredevil” in 2003. They married in 2005 and finalized their divorce in 2018. They have three children, Violet, 16, Seraphina, 12, and Sam, 9 years old. He had even contacted her for help and she helped him get treatment, according to reports. He said children remained a focal point for him during his marriage.
“I was like, ‘I can’t leave’ because of my kids, but I’m not happy, what should I do?” he said. “What I did was drink a bottle of scotch and fall asleep on the couch, which turned out not to be the solution.
Affleck, who landed a Golden Globe nomination for best performance by an actor in a supporting role for ‘The Tender Bar’ and reportedly rekindled his relationship with Jennifer Lopez, said he realized he and Garner weren’t supposed to be together.
“We had a marriage that didn’t work out, it happens, with someone I love and respect, but shouldn’t be married to anymore,” he said.
“Finally, we tried. We tried, we tried because we had children,” he added. “We both felt like we didn’t want this to be the model our kids see of marriage.”
Affleck’s comments certainly got people talking on Twitter, and a lot of people blasted him.
“Ben Affleck, Jerk. He’s sunk as low as he can blaming his marriage to Jennifer Garner for his responsibility and sole responsibility for drinking,” one person commented.
“Ben Affleck blaming Jennifer Garner proves he has an accountability problem too,” someone wrote.
“Ben Affleck should have kept that story about Jennifer Garner to himself,” another person wrote. Especially since she continued to support him after the divorce.”
“#BenAffleck don’t blame JG for your drinking problem. It’s all YOU,” someone else commented.
“Sorry Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner and your kids are the ones who got tricked into living with an alcoholic and will bear the fear of your drinking,” one person added.
“Ben Affleck made it sound on Stern that marriage to Jennifer Garner was so unbearable it drove him to drink,” another person wrote. “Even if he believes that, you’re not saying it for the sake of the kids or to be a person of integrity. Maybe Jennifer Lopez should rethink things.”
