Ben Affleck Finally Clarifies His Comments About Blaming Ex Jennifer Garner for His Drinking Problems

Back in December 2021, Ben Affleck had an eye-opening interview with Howard Stern that caught the attention of just about everyone. He relayed the message that if he was still married to Jennifer Garner he would “probably still be drinking.” Oof — that statement still stings. However, he’s here to clarify exactly what he meant because the 50-year-old actor knows that his alcoholism is all on him. 

In a candid interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Affleck revisited the exchange he had with Stern and made sure everyone understood that “my behavior is my responsibility entirely.” He clarified his “sad” point of deciding with Garner as to how far they should go to save the marriage. “We loved each other. We care about each other. We have respect for each other,” he said. “I was trying to say, ‘Hey, look, I was drinking too much, and the less happy you become, whether it’s your job, your marriage, it’s just that as your life becomes more difficult, if you’re doing things to fill a hole that aren’t healthy, you’re going to start doing more of those things.'”

Affleck thought he was “pretty articulate” about that point in his Stern interview and blamed the New York Post for twisting his words and making it “clickbait.” (But honestly, everyone read it the same way.) He wants to reiterate the point again, noting, “I don’t blame my ex-wife for my alcoholism.” He likely had a private conversation with Garner about this, but it probably doesn’t hurt to say it publicly one more time. 

He credits his second wife, Jennifer Lopez, for loosening him up because he tends to take interviews a little too seriously, which sometimes gets him in trouble. (Um, yeah.) “[Jennifer Lopez] tells me today, ‘Relax, be yourself. Have fun. You’re actually a fun guy who is real and genuine and you just seem so serious.’ Do I seem serious? But as in many things, she’s really right,” Affleck concluded. “And she loves me. She’s looking out for me. She’s trying to help me. So it’s like, maybe I ought to f**king listen to her.”

Before you go, click here to see celebrities who have struggled with drug or alcohol addiction.