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Ben Affleck wants people to know the truth about his struggle to quit drinking: it was no one's fault but his own, he says.
In a new interview, the 50-year-old actor and director addressed earlier reports that claimed he blamed his ex-wife, actress Jennifer Garner, for his drinking problem.
"I had a really painful experience where I did an interview where I was really vulnerable, and the entire pickup was something that wasn't only not right; it was actually the opposite of what I meant," Ben shared with The Hollywood Reporter magazine.
The Live by Night director says the tabloids "deliberately mischaracterised" comments he made in an interview with radio host Howard Stern in 2021. At the time, Ben said he'd "probably still be drinking" if he and Jennifer (50) were still married and that part of the reason he started drinking was because he felt trapped in his marriage.
The Deep Water actor, who’s since turned his life around after being admitted to rehab multiple times, received a lot of backlash for his comments.
“Jen has been the only one picking him up time and time again when he’s done horrible things – fallen off the wagon or worse," a source said at the time. "Jen stood by him because she loves him. This is the mother of his children."
But Ben, who’s now married to singer and actress Jennifer Lopez (53), believes the article was misconstrued to be used as clickbait.
"To be clear, my behaviour is my responsibility entirely. The point I was trying to make was a sad one,” he said recently.
“Anyone who’s been through divorce makes that calculus of, ‘How much do we try?’ We loved each other. We care about each other. We have respect for each other.”
This isn't the first time Ben has hit back at the claims. In December 2021 he revealed in an interview with talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel that he believed his words had been twisted, and that it had “hurt [his] feelings”.
On a more positive note, the two-time Oscar winner, whose new film, Air, comes out next month, has been house-hunting. He was recently spotted checking out a $64 million (R1,1 billion) mansion in Pacific Palisades, California, with J Lo, whom he says encourages him to “relax, be yourself and have fun”.
Since getting married last year, the couple have been on a mission to buy their dream home for their blended family. Jennifer has 15-year-old twins Max and Emme with ex-husband Marc Anthony (54), while Ben has daughters Violet (17) and Seraphina (14) and son Samuel (11) with Jen Garner.
Bennifer have been snapped by paparazzi checking out multimillion-dollar properties in some of the fanciest neighbourhoods, but the latest one seems to tick all the boxes, with a movie theatre, pool, multiple recreation and gathering spots, a wine cellar and huge kitchen.
SOURCES: PAGESIX.COM, THEHOLLYWOODREPORTER.COM, HARPERSBAZAAR.COM, DAILYMAIL.CO.UK
