Actor Ben Affleck made headlines with his candid remarks during an interview with Howard Stern.
Ben Affleck is said to have woken up on December 14, 2021, and decided to use violence. Ben spoke candidly with Howard Stern about his time as an alcoholic and his marriage to Jennifer Garner.
Since the two overlap—which many of us are aware of—it makes some sense that Ben would situate his drinking in the context of his marriage. But there is a lot wrong with the approach he took.
Ben decided to go all out on this interview, blaming Jennifer Garner for his drinking problem. As he put it: “I started drinking because I felt partially trapped. I remember thinking, ‘What am I going to do? I can’t leave because of my kids, but I’m not happy. And what I did was I turned off the bottle of scotch and passed out on the couch, which wasn’t the best course of action.
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His previous note from February 2020 and this admission seem to contradict each other. In an interview with The New York Times, Ben said his biggest regret was getting divorced. Shame is corrosive, he continued. Shame has no beneficial side effects. The only thing it does is suffocate in a poisonous, vile feeling of low self-esteem and self-loathing.
December 2021 has come and gone and it seems that Ben has changed his truth – or maybe there can be multiple truths at the same time. It’s hard to argue that acknowledging this publicly is in the best interests of his children or his co-parenting with their mother, regardless of what he thinks and believes.
Ben said he gave up drinking for the same kids. “Suffering is the best medicine for addiction. You have to endure enough pain before you decide enough is enough. My kids were there. I’m lucky I got to this stage before I lost the things that mattered most. Not about work or my bank account; it was my connection to my children and I knew it when I felt it affecting them.
Ben’s desire to be open about his addiction and recovery is great, especially since he will have to answer his children’s questions about both. The way he puts the onus on their mother as if there was anything she could do to stop him from drinking, is less than commendable.
Ben tried to put a nice bow on his marriage and eventual divorce. The fact is, we took our time, we made a decision, and we finally gave up on each other, he said. Our marriage was a failure. Since we had children, we tried. We didn’t want it to serve as a model of child marriage. We tried. As much as I adore and respect her, I shouldn’t still be married to her.
it remains to be seen how Affleck’s remarks will affect his relationship with Garner, their children, and public perception. However, his willingness to openly discuss his experiences may provide inspiration and support to others struggling with similar issues. In this process, we hope that the focus will shift toward promoting understanding, empathy, and healing for all parties involved.