After generating some controversy with an interview on The Howard Stern Show, Ben Affleck is hoping to shed some new light on how he really feels about ex-wife Jennifer Gardner. During the interview, Affleck opened up a bit on his alcoholism, noting that his struggles had increased during his marriage. The Tender Bar star noted that he would "probably still be drinking" if he were still married to Gardner, as he used alcohol as a crutch during their marriage.
These comments brought about backlash on social media, as many had accused Affleck of "blaming" Gardner for his drinking problems. There was enough controversy for Affleck to face it head-on during a new appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. From this new interview, Affleck insisted that his comments from the Stern interview were taken out of context. He says he actually thinks very highly of his ex-wife and wants everyone to know that, especially his children.
"They had, literally, taken the conversation I had for two hours and made it seem as if I was saying the exact opposite of what I said. I had gone on and said, like, how much we respect each other and cared about each other and cared about our kids and put them first and went through our stuff. And 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."
In his Kimmel interview, Ben Affleck explains how he felt really satisfied with the honest, long-form interview he'd done with Howard Stern. Just as he was thinking about how he should be doing more like this, he began to notice the backlash brewing on Twitter. Affleck says that this was basically a "clickbait" story that had gotten out of control. While he understands the more harmless stories of this nature, such as the "Sad Batman" situation, Affleck admits that this one actually "hurts" because it's much more personal.
"I know people do this. I get it. I'm happy to be Sad Batman. I'm happy to be the Dunkin' Donuts, and the meme. I understand. You have to get married to Jimmy Kimmel sometimes. But really, when it's about my kids, I've got to just draw a line. That's not true. 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 think I would ever say a bad word about their mom. It hurts my feelings, man."
Also during his Stern interview, Affleck detailed the lowest moment of his career, which came after starring in three box office bombs in a row. That led to a studio canceling a movie they were planning to make with Affleck which made him feel even worse. The actor certainly put himself out there for this chat with Howard Stern, and while it seems to have been therapeutic for him in some ways, it clearly hasn't been without its problems. You can catch Affleck in The Tender Bar in theaters on Dec. 17 and on Prime Video on Jan. 7.