In an interview this week on The Howard Stern Show, actor Ben Affleck discussed his marriage to Jennifer Garner. They began dating in mid-2004 after previously working together on Pearl Harbor and Daredevil (that’s already a lot of red flags) before getting married in 2005. They had three kids (and Affleck reportedly had a tryst with a nanny) before announcing their intention to divorce in 2015 and officially splitting up in 2018. Affleck and Garner have remained in each other’s lives, however, including the time she drove him to rehab — which makes his comments on Stern all the more curious.
“I was like, ‘I can’t leave because of my kids, but I’m not happy, what do I do?’ And what I did was [I] drank a bottle of scotch and fell asleep on the couch, which turned out not to be the solution,” he said, adding that he’d “probably still be drinking” if they remained together. “It’s part of why I started drinking… because I was trapped.”
And while Ben and Jennifer were no longer in love, he said it wasn’t the dramatic breakup that was portrayed in the media. As he put it, “We had a marriage that didn’t work. This happens. She’s somebody I love and respect, but to whom I shouldn’t be married any longer… We did it amicably. We did our best. Did we have moments of tension? Did we have disagreements over custody? Was stuff difficult for us? Did we get angry?” he continued. “Yes, but fundamentally it was always underpinned with a respect.”
Affleck blaming his issues with alcohol on his marriage is not sitting well with people.
https://twitter.com/JulieKCohn/status/1471022420555272194
So because Ben Affleck felt trapped in his marriage to Jennifer Garner he started drinking and then sleeping with the nanny (he left the nanny bit out).
He felt so trapped in his marriage that 3yrs after they separated, Jennifer had to drive him to rehab. pic.twitter.com/4H3jad0YNI
— girl (@twa96) December 15, 2021
This is such a shitty thing to say I’m sorry.
Jennifer Garner always seemed like a sweetheart. Clearly she deserved better. https://t.co/yjaL40JKfD
— 🖤 (@ritaeatspitas) December 14, 2021
✨the masculine urge to blame all your grown man problems on your wife✨ https://t.co/YDupAByfAg
— tired egg (@tiredegggggg) December 15, 2021
You also slept with the nanny. That’s a huge part of why a marriage breaks down, babe.
3 years after they split wasn’t Jennifer seen driving Ben to rehab? He was still drinking AFTER they split. That’s on you, beloved. That’s your problem at this point. https://t.co/feqHgevzwU
— Hakuna🦋 (@HakunaTheFckNot) December 15, 2021
i need this man to SHUT UP about jennifer garner because any time he opens his damn mouth he tries to blame her for his shitty behavior while they were married, when she was supporting his recovery even AFTER their divorce https://t.co/hdeLfjA6Vq
— lex | succession meltdown (@aquariushivroy) December 15, 2021
When you can’t accept that your drinking problem is because of you, you still have a drinking problem. Jennifer Garner didn’t drive Ben Affleck to drink, she did however drive him to rehab probably saving his life.
— The_Charming_Avenger (Taylor’s Version)🩵 (@Boeing74) December 15, 2021
Ben Affleck needs to call his sponsor. If this is what taking responsibility for his actions looks like in his head? He needs to rework those steps. And I hope other Jennifer takes note of how he treats people who help him, as Jennifer Garner helped him to rehab 3 goddamn times. https://t.co/QHDSPKdYBO
— Brook (@brook_podjunkie) December 15, 2021
I just know Jennifer Garner is kneading the fuck out of some dough right now
— Rap Game Ina Garten (@KaraBTweets) December 14, 2021
Ben Affleck and Chris Pratt prove more and more each day that Jennifer Garner and Anna Faris were the true winners in their respective relationships.
— Meredith (@meralee727) December 15, 2021
Jennifer Garner is the most adorable person on the planet.
Shame on Ben Affleck. Shame. Shame. Shame. https://t.co/9bJhGKET1N
— Jae 🇺🇦 (@jaegravley) December 15, 2021
(Via E! Online)
