Ben Affleck said that "part of why" he started drinking alcohol was because he felt "trapped" in his marriage to Jennifer Garner.
During a virtual appearance on The Howard Stern Show, 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."
He continued: "I was like, 'I can't leave because of my kids, but I am not happy. What do I do?' What I did was drink a bottle of scotch on the couch, which turned out not to be the solution."
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.
Affleck told Stern that ultimately, he and Garner ended the marriage "amicably."
"Did we have moments of tension?" he said. "Did we have disagreements over the custody? Was stuff difficult for us? Did we get angry? Yes."
He added: "But fundamentally it was always underpinned with respect. I knew she was a good mom. I hope that she knew that I was a good dad. I was. I had to get sober — I knew that too — and I acknowledged that. I said, 'You're right. I've got to quit drinking.'"
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.
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