Ben Affleck has openly discussed his biggest regret, which he claims is his divorce from his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner. In an emotional revelation, Affleck, who has struggled with alcohol addiction, shared the immense shame he felt after his separation from Garner.
Divorce From Jennifer Garner
Ben Affleck was married to actress Jennifer Garner for a decade, from 2005 to 2015. Their split in 2015 was followed by a divorce filing in 2017, two years after they publicly announced their separation. Affleck has since been open about how his battle with alcoholism negatively impacted his marriage, a challenge that continued to affect his life even after the divorce.
In a 2020 interview, Ben Affleck admitted that his divorce from Garner was his “biggest regret.” He described the shame he felt as a “toxic” emotion that only fueled feelings of low self-worth and self-loathing. “Shame is really toxic. There is no positive byproduct of shame. It’s just stewing in a toxic, hideous feeling,” he said.
Ben Affleck’s Struggles with Alcoholism
Affleck revealed that his alcohol use worsened as his marriage deteriorated. Although he had previously drunk “relatively normally,” he began to drink heavily in the years leading up to their separation.
“When my marriage was falling apart, I started drinking more and more. This was 2015, 2016,” he admitted, acknowledging that his drinking only exacerbated the marital issues.
Ben Affleck’s journey to sobriety has been a challenging one. He sought help through rehab three times, in 2001, 2017, and 2018. In the same New York Times interview, Affleck expressed his gratitude for the support he received from close friends, including Bradley Cooper and Robert Downey Jr., who were instrumental in helping him during his recovery process.
While Affleck has not publicly commented on his recent divorce from Jennifer Lopez, his earlier reflections on his failed marriage to Garner serve as a poignant reminder of his personal struggles and regrets.
