'Stupid' Ben Affleck Walks Back On Jen Garner Alcoholism Comments After Drowning In Backlash
Dec. 16 2021, Published 10:28 a.m. ET
Ben Affleck is trying to backtrack on his comments where he blamed his ex-wife Jen Garner for his drinking problem.
Taking the stage on Wednesday night for an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, the 49-year-old Justice League actor called himself "stupid," saying he was trying to say the opposite.
After pissing off his girlfriend Jennifer Lopez over the comments and copping a firestorm of backlash, Affleck tried to put his family back together again by explaining what he meant when he said feeling "trapped" in his marriage to Garner led him to drink.
Claiming he's "hurt" by the response to his Howard Stern interview, the Academy Award winner whined that people are making him out to be the “worst, most insensitive, stupid, awful guy.”
In reality, Affleck said they "talked a lot about my family, divorce, and alcoholism … and how you have to be accountable and loving."
Telling Kimmel he left "happy," the movie star said it was one of the "more honest, exploratory, self-evaluating” interviews he'd ever done. Affleck claimed it wasn't until he opened social media that he knew he was in trouble.
"Then I start seeing all this stuff come up on Twitter. And I was like, what is this?” he recalled. Affleck said haters “had literally taken the conversation that I had had for two hours and made it seem as if I was saying the exact opposite of what I had said.”
“It said that I had blamed my ex-wife for my alcoholism, that I was trapped in this marriage — just made me out to be the worst, most insensitive, stupid, awful guy," he stated.
Insisting "that’s not true,” Affleck appeared to regret his words about his ex-wife after thinking about their three kids. “I don’t believe that — it’s the exact opposite of who I am, what I believe, and I would never want my kids to ever say a bad word about their mom," he told Kimmel.
As RadarOnline.com reported, J. Lo is "livid" with Affleck after he blamed Garner for his alcoholism. The couple agreed never to bash their exes in interviews and she feels he crossed the line.
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A source revealed the singer has been "working really hard to build a relationship with Ben’s children" and Garner. We're told she's not thrilled the kids are going to "read the quotes from their dad trashing their mom." That didn't stop J. Lo from supporting Affleck on his apology tour.
The pair were seen holding hands while walking into Kimmel's studio before the interview.
Garner isn't happy either. She put on a brave face and a fake smile for her first outing amid the backlash.
