Ben Affleck Gets Candid About Alcoholism: ‘It’s a Part of My Life’
Last October, Ben Affleck completed a 40-day stint in rehab after his ex-wife Jennifer Garner led an intense intervention over the summer, urging him to get treatment for his alcohol addiction. While promoting his upcoming film Triple Frontier, the actor got personal during an interview on Today with Hoda Kotb. He admitted that while "some people are sort of uncomfortable" discussing alcoholism, "it doesn't really bother" him.
"It’s a part of my life. It's something I deal with. It doesn’t have to sort of consume my whole identity and be everything, but it is something that, you know, you have to look at," the 46-year-old said. "I feel like I had a problem and I really wanted to address it and I take some pride in that... It's about yourself, your life, your family. [As] people we encounter these kinds of hurdles and we have to deal with them."
And though they may no longer be together, it's clear Garner is still there for Affleck, with whom she shares three children.
"She's wonderful," he gushed when asked about his ex; confessing he "of course" still loves her. "Somebody's the mother of your kids they're gonna be the most important, central person in your life and that’s good," he said.
As for being a dad, Affleck thinks he's doing a pretty decent job. "I certainly try pretty hard," he said earnestly. "I’m lucky they got a great mom and she helps out a great deal with making sure we co-parent in as good a way as possible."
"Dads are so important to kids and it's our responsibility to be there for them; to be present, to be mindful, to be attentive, to be part of their lives, to be in it just as much as moms," he continued. "That’s really the central preoccupation of my life. The focus of my life. It’s what I love doing. It makes me happy. The rest of the stuff kind of follows."
After years of a rocky, on-again off-again relationship, Affleck and Garner officially filed for divorce nearly two years ago. Watch Affleck's candid Today interview here.