Ben Affleck has said his recent comments on his marriage to Jennifer Garner, including several where he appeared to blame her for his history with alcohol abuse, were taken out of context. In a Wednesday night appearance on Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show, the Pearl Harbor star, 49, said media outlets “made it seem as if I was saying the exact opposite of what I said” after a “really cool, long-form, in-depth” two-hour interview with host Howard Stern aired on Monday.
Affleck shot back at the online fixation around his words, particularly that he had felt “trapped” with Garner, and would “probably still be drinking” if he’d stayed with her. “They said I had blamed my ex-wife for my alcoholism, and that I was trapped, and just made me out to be the worst, most insensitive, stupid, awful guy,” the actor said. “... That’s not true. I don’t believe that. It’s the exact opposite of who I am, what I believe.”
Speaking to Kimmel, Affleck emphasized how proud he was of the way he worked with Garner to co-parent their three children. “I would never want my kids to think I would ever say a bad word about their mom,” he said, adding over applause, “It hurts my feelings, man.”
