Celebrity3 min(s) read
Published 11:54 17 Dec 2021 GMT
Ben Affleck has hit back at claims he blamed his marriage to Jennifer Garner for turning to alcohol.
During a virtual appearance on The Howard Stern Show on December 14, Affleck opened up about his failed marriage to the 13 Going On 30 actress.
"We grew apart. We had a marriage that didn't work. This happens," Affleck told Stern. He went on to say they tried to make it work because they had kids.
"And you know what, we probably would've ended up at each other's throats," he said. "I'd probably still be drinking — which is part of why I started drinking alcohol — because I was trapped."
His comments caused major backlash, with many feeling that the actor was blaming Garner for making him turn to drink amid marriage problems.
However, Affleck told Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday, December 15, that he believes the media twisted his words to make it seem that way, and that it "hurt my feelings".
"We talked a lot about my family, you know, alcoholism, struggling with real things, how you have to be accountable and loving, how I work with my ex-wife, how I’m so proud of the way we work together for our kids, the best that we can for them," he told Kimmel.
"I was thrilled," he said of the interview. "I thought, 'Wow, I should do more honest, exploratory, self-evaluating things.' Then I start seeing all this stuff come up on Twitter. And I was like, 'What is this?'"
He said that one website had "literally taken the conversation that I had had for two hours and made it seem as if I was saying the exact opposite of what I had said".
Affleck continued: "It said that I had blamed my ex-wife for my alcoholism, that I was trapped in this marriage, just made me out to be the worst, most insensitive, stupid, awful guy."
The actor pointed out that, in the interview, he had "said how much we respected each other, cared about each other, cared about our kids, put them first".
Affleck has been open in the past about his experience with alcohol addiction after checking into rehab for the first time in 2001.
Last year, Affleck told The New York Times that he'd started drinking more amid marital problems with Garner.
The pair began dating in 2004, and went on to tie the knot the following year. After trying to make their union work for a decade, the pair separated in 2015 before finalizing their divorce in 2018.
Garner reportedly encouraged Affleck to seek help before his 40-day stint in rehab in 2018.
The pair share three children together; daughters Violet, 16, and Seraphina, 12, as well as son Samuel, 9.
Affleck is now in a relationship with Jennifer Lopez. The pair reignited their spark earlier this year more than 17 years after calling off their engagement.
