Originally published on February 20, 2020 on College Candy.
In a new tell-all interview, Ben Affleck has called his divorce from Jennifer Garner his biggest regret. The couple seemed to have it all. Three beautiful children and a withstanding marriage that went on for 10 years, until they sadly announced their separation in 2015 and finalized it in 2018.
The Good Will Hunting star has spoken to the New York Times about the separation, stating that the separation of his marriage is shameful, and “The biggest regret of my life is this divorce.”
He continued:
“Shame is really toxic. There is no positive byproduct of shame. It’s just stewing in a toxic, hideous feeling of low self-worth and self-loathing. It’s not particularly healthy for me to obsess over the failures – the relapses – and beat myself up. I have certainly made mistakes. I have certainly done things that I regret. But you’ve got to pick yourself up, learn from it, learn some more and try to move forward.”
Affleck also mentioned that he used to drink “normally,” but witnessing his marriage falling apart came with an increase of the bad habit. Affleck commented, “This was 2015, 2016. My drinking, of course, created more marital problems.”
Garner spoke about the divorce for the first time in a 2016 interview with Vanity Fair
She spoke openly about the separation, stating:
“It’s not Ben’s job to make me happy. The main thing is these kids – and we’re completely in line with what we hope for them. Sure, I lost the dream of dancing with my husband at my daughter’s wedding. But you should see their faces when he walks through the door. And if you see your kids love someone so purely and wholly, then you’re going to be friends with that person.”
Jennifer Garner at the 2018 Baby2Baby Gala on Nov. 10, 2018/Tinseltown/Shutterstock
In 2018, Garner sat with CBS Sunday Morning and spoke about how it felt to have her family’s public, but personal business come to light in magazines. She stated, “But to be honest, public scrutiny, everyone says, ‘Oh, you’ve had to go through this in public.’ The public isn’t what’s hard; what’s hard is going through it,” she told Connor Knighton.
Since the divorce there is no bad blood between the ex-couple, and they seem to be co-parenting well
They are often photographed with their three children Violet, Seraphina and Samuel. They even got ice cream together in 2018 the day after their divorce went through. They indulged in the sweet treat as newly-single friends and co-parents.
In 2018 Affleck and Garner were in the headlines again, after she drove him to rehab a consecutive time
Affleck has gone to rehab three times – in 2001, 2017, and 2018. Affleck is not proud of this and has called relapsing “embarassing.” While in an interview with the times he stated, “I wish it didn’t happen. I really wish it wasn’t on the internet for my kids to see. Jen and I did our best to address it and be honest.”
Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner at the 70th Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 13, 2013/Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock
The Batman actor will soon play an alcoholic in his new movie The Way Back, a sports drama coming out in March. Affleck’s character hits close to home for the actor, as in the film he will be playing a high school basketball coach who ruins his marriage and ends up in rehab.
Affleck reportedly comes from a long line of alcoholics, and though the actor has had a rocky time with his addiction, he seems to be in a much better state of mind and accepts that it’s a part of his past.
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