Ben Affleck is making moves, and we’re totally here for it. Not only is he directing, producing, and starring in a new movie – Air – but he is also serving as the CEO of a new production company – Artists Equity – which he started with fellow actor Matt Damon. He continues to add to his impressive and illustrious resume.
In light of his new projects, Affleck recently met up with The Hollywood Reporter for a sit-down interview, and it did not disappoint. And while a majority of the interview was targeted at the two projects mentioned above, there was also a point where he opened up about past comments he made about his ex-wife.
The subject got brought up when he was asked why he wasn’t on Instagram – explaining that he views social media as a vulnerable place where you ‘say one wrong thing and your career is over.’ And due to his past experiences, he has become ‘very guarded’ – as his current wife, Jennifer Lopez, puts it.
One of those experiences – which Affleck described as a ‘painful experience’ – came during an interview with Howard Stern in December 2021. “I did an interview where I was really vulnerable, and the entire pickup was something that was not only not right, it was actually the opposite of what I meant,” he said.
In the 2021 interview, Affleck talked about how he turned to drinking towards the end of his marriage to Jennifer Garner – the former couple was married between 2005 and 2018. After that interview, many people – and media outlets – said he was blaming his ex-wife for his drinking, but that wasn’t the case.
“I was trying to say, ‘Hey, look, I was drinking too much, and the less happy you become, whether it’s your job, your marriage, it’s just that as your life becomes more difficult, if you’re doing things to fill a hole that aren’t healthy, you’re going to start doing more of those things,’” he explained to The Hollywood Reporter.
He went on to name The New York Post as the outlet that ‘deliberately mischaracterized’ the 2021 interview ‘in order to make it clickbait.’ He repeatedly tried to correct those that picked the story up, but no one listened – an experience that only seemed to validate his reasoning for being a ‘guarded’ individual.
Ben Affleck Also Talked About the Viral Grammy Meme
After Ben Affleck addressed the 2021 comments about his drinking, The Hollywood Reporter asked him if he minds the ‘Ben Affleck having a bad time at the Grammy’s’ meme. Attending the celebratory night with his wife, Jennifer Lopez, Affleck didn’t seem to be having fun and was stone-faced on multiple occasions.
At one point, Grammy’s host Trevor Noah was doing a skit and chose to sit next to the couple. While the camera was rolling, Affleck leaned in and whispered something into his wife’s ear – and she immediately pulled back and gave him an awkward look. That moment was caught on camera, and people ran with it.
During his interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ben Affleck explained that the ‘awkward moment’ got taken out of context. In fact, he didn’t know the camera was rolling, and he whispered, “As soon they start rolling, I’m going to slide away from you and leave you sitting next to Trevor,” to give her the spotlight.
In response, Lopez turned to him and said, “You better f***ing not leave.” Affleck called it a ‘husband and wife thing’ – adding it was nothing more than her wanting him to be seen next to her. He also confirmed that he ‘had a good time at the Grammy’s’ and liked how unique it was from a movie awards show.
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So, while it might seem that Ben Affleck isn’t having a good time, he actually is. In fact, it’s something his wife has brought up with him. Today, she often tells him to “Relax, be yourself. Have fun,” – adding that he’s ‘actually a fun guy who is real and genuine, and you just seem so serious.’ So, there you have it!
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