Ben and Casey Affleck’s Dad Blames Hollywood for Their Troubles

It’s been a rough couple of years for brothers Ben and Casey Affleck, but their father, Timothy Affleck believes he’s found the source of their problems — Hollywood itself.

“It has taken a toll on both of my sons,” their father said in an interview with Grazia. “Hollywood is a disgusting place. I think that’s been a major factor in Ben’s drinking. You’re kind of forced to develop a persona that is hard to shed and go home to your family. It affects your whole life. I think that’s one of the dangers of the film industry.”

Ben Affleck’s battle with alcoholism has been well-documented. He claimed as far back as 1998 that he had quit drinking, but in 2001 checked into a 30-day rehabilitation program for alcohol abuse. He checked himself back into rehab in early 2017, then again in December.

“He is continuing after care. It is part of his daily regimen,” a source told PEOPLE, while another source adds, “[Ben] asked for help. He wants to be sober.”

Timothy Affleck confirmed that his eldest son is still trying to control his alcoholism, admitting he himself had issues with it.

“I was a chronic, severe alcoholic for several years. I had to recover and, happily, I did,” Affleck said. “Ben has always been serious about getting sober. There is no question about that. He wants a balanced life and he is working at it.”

On the contrary, Ben’s brother Casey has been dealing with social backlash following a sexual misconduct accusation. In 2010 two co-workers on the film I’m Still Here, which Timothy also worked on, sued Casey but the case was settled out of court. Ben himself was accused of misconduct back in October, where he promptly apologized after allegeldy groping MTV presenter Hilarie Burton.

Timothy didn’t believe the validity of either situation.

“You’d have to ask them,” Timothy said. “It doesn’t interest me, they know what they’re doing. They’re both kind and good men. They treat women well, I can guarantee that. After 40 odd years, you know your kids. Both of my sons are hard workers. They have a tremendous amount of empathy, they don’t forget where they came from, they’re very kind and generous. Those are the qualities that I value.”