In a recent interview with Howard Stern, Ben Affleck opened up about his marriage to ex-wife Jennifer Garner, seemingly blaming her for many of his issues with alcohol. “The truth was, we took our time, we made a decision, we grew apart,” Affleck said. “We had a marriage that did not work. This happens. It is somebody I love and respect, but to whom I should not be married any longer.”
“And then we said, ‘You know what? We tried. We tried, because we had kids,’” he added, “And then both of us felt like, ‘We don’t want this to be the model that our kids see of marriage.’” Affleck explained that if he and Garner had stayed married, he felt as though he would continue to be plagued by his addiction to alcohol. He explained that their marriage “was part of why I started drinking alcohol, I was trapped.”
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Many people on Twitter took umbrage with the implication that Garner was why Affleck started drinking, pointing out that his first trip to rehab happened in 2001, several years before they even started dating. She also took him to rehab in 2018, years after they had separated.
Taking Garner’s Side
“I was rooting for Ben Affleck but to blame his drinking on his marriage to Jennifer Garner is so silly,” tweeted author Roxane Gay. “She dried his a– out multiple times! After they broke up even. Mmmmm. He best take himself to a meeting or something.”
Chris Pratt Comparisons
“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,” pointed out another Twitter user.
Comparisons to Garner
Many people on Twitter also shared snippets from previous Interviews that Garner had given where she was more gracious in the way she spoke about her ex-husband.
The Struggles of Alcoholism
Other people pointed out that alcoholism is a disease, and it wasn’t fair to blame Garner for it. “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,” wrote one Twitter user.
Unfair to Garner
Affleck probably didn’t anticipate this level of backlash to his comments, as the Internet was clear in its support of Garner. “Is he seriously throwing Jennifer Garner under the bus even though she was there for him in his lowest moments, taking him to rehab, keeping a dignified silence after their divorce, putting her kids and him first and this is how Ben Affleck repays her,” tweeted one frustrated person.
He Could Have Just Stayed Quiet
“I think Abe Lincoln said it best:Better to remain silent and be thought a d— than to speak on Howard Stern about Jennifer Garner and remove all doubt,” tweeted another person.
A Warning To J.Lo
Other people pointed out that Affleck’s girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez, should probably pay attention to the red flags. “I’m pretty sure Ben Affleck hasn’t stopped drinking, not even with JLo. The man has issues, is written all over his face and that won’t stop regardless of which partner he has atm bc the problem is HIM. Blaming the mother of his kids, who dealt with a lot of his BS, is GROSS!” tweeted another person.
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US actress Jennifer Lopez (R) and US actor Ben Affleck attend Amazon's "This is Me… Now: A Love Story" premiere at the Dolby theatre in Hollywood, California, February 13, 2024. (Photo by Robyn BECK / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
