25 years since he won his first Oscar alongside his childhood BFF, Ben Affleck has been firmly in the public eye for more than half his life.
In that time, Ben has experienced his fair share of personal difficulties on the world stage, so he’s maintained a pretty transparent attitude when it comes to discussing his struggles with alcohol.
For context, Ben first checked into a rehab facility in 2001, completing a 30-day residential rehabilitation program for alcohol abuse.
He has sought treatment for alcoholism on several occasions in the years since, getting professional help in 2008, 2017, and again in 2018 after his divorce from Jennifer Garner was finalized.
He briefly relapsed in 2019, but said he wouldn’t let it “derail” him, admitting: “It happens, it’s a slip.”
That same year, the actor acknowledged that “being an alcoholic” is something that he deals with on a daily basis, saying on the Todayshow: “It doesn’t have to subsume my whole identity and be everything, but it is something that you have to work at.”
And now, in a wide-ranging interview with the Hollywood Reporter published yesterday, Ben is reflecting on complications that come with navigating sobriety in the spotlight, admitting that he feels he’s become the face of alcoholism among celebrities.
“I became — out of no desire of my own — one of the poster boys for actor alcoholism and recovery and the whole thing,” he told the outlet, going on to admit that being so open about his struggles comes with ups and downs.
“The best part about that is that sometimes people call me up and they’re like, ‘Hey, can you help me out?’ And it makes me feel so good to do that,” he said, adding that “the big trick of 12-step is the reason they want you to help other people is because it actually helps you more.”
However, despite acknowledging the positives that come from his openness, Ben said the advice he often gives to his celebrity peers in similar situations is to “avoid” having their addictions made public.
“You don’t need to be anybody’s poster child,” he said. “You don’t need to fucking tell anybody. That’s why there’s two words on the front of the book. They’re just as important, both of them: Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s always anonymous.”
Since Ben’s addiction has played out so publicly, it’s become unfortunately common for fans to speculate about his health — particularly after he married Jennifer Lopez in July last year.
For example, a video clip of Jennifer and Ben having a seemingly tense conversation at the premiere for her movie, Shotgun Wedding, went viral in January after fans suspected the pair were arguing over Ben’s drinking.
In the candid clip — which has amassed more than 10.5 million views on TikTok — Ben can be seen shaking his head at Jen, who drinks from a wine glass in front of him. When she appears to disregard what he’s saying, he looks to say her name.
Fans began speculating that Jen was accusing Ben of drinking alcohol, with one lip-reader on TikTok claiming that Ben was saying: “I didn’t drink anything, OK?” while Jen tasted his drink to check.
More recently, Ben found himself at the center of attention after he was shown looking “bored” and “miserable” while he and Jen attended the Grammys last month.
The pair went viral once again after the cameras caught them having yet another tense-looking…
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