In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ben Affleck opened up about his battle with alcoholism and how misrepresentations of the past have made him wary of the media.
The actor/writer/director also opened up about his time as Batman in “Justice League” and how the film’s commercial failure led him to drink.
“That was hard. And I started drinking too much.” said in the interview, published on Thursday. “I was back at the hotel in London, it was either (drink) or jump out the window. And I thought, ‘This is not the life I want. My children are not here. I’m miserable.'”
Affleck spoke in depth about wanting to use his remaining years wisely and how important it is to spend time with his children.
He shares three children with ex-wife Jennifer Garner: 17-year-old Violet Anne, 13-year-old Seraphina Rose, and 10-year-old Samuel.
Affleck also spoke about becoming more cautious with the media after his divorce.
“I see these things (interviews) as land mines, where if you say the wrong thing, your career could end,” he revealed.
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He went on to talk about how he felt “mischaracterized” by the New York Post in a “clickbait” story that implied he blamed his ex-wife for his drinking.
“I had a really painful experience where I did an interview where I was really vulnerable, and the whole pick-up was something that was not only not right, but actually the opposite of what I wanted to say. The idea that I was blaming my wife for my drinking,” she explained.
( Ben Affleck says his father’s alcoholism taught him the value of sobriety: “He was drunk every day” )
“To be clear, my behavior is entirely my responsibility,” he continued. “The point I was trying to make was sad. … I was trying to say, hey, look, I was drinking too much, and the less happy you become, whether it’s because of your job, your marriage, it’s just that as your life gets more difficult, if you’re doing things to fill a void that is unhealthy, you will start doing more of those things.”
Affleck said he tried to defend himself after being misrepresented, but “it didn’t matter how many times I said, ‘I don’t feel that way. I’m telling you, I don’t blame my ex-wife for my alcoholism. So yes. It’s hard.”
( Jennifer Lopez explains why she eloped with Ben Affleck in Las Vegas )
Today, Ben Affleck finds support in his new wife, Jennifer Lopez, who encourages him to be less cautious despite his past experiences.
“(Jennifer) tells me today, ‘Relax, be yourself. Have fun. In fact, you’re just a fun guy who’s real and genuine and you seem so serious,’” she shared.
“Do I look serious?” he asked the interviewer. “But, as in many things, he is absolutely right. And she loves me. She is taking care of me. She is trying to help me. So it’s like, maybe I should listen to her.”
