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Ben Affleck’s Rehab Confession Hints That Jennifer Garner Divorce Is Still On?

By Patricia Grannum
Published on: 07:47 PST, Mar 15, 2017

Ben Affleck recently came clean about his struggles with alcohol addiction. On Tuesday, the 44-year-old actor and director wrote a post on Facebook where he was honest about his alcoholism.

According to Gossip Cop, Affleck checked into a rehab facility soon after the 2017 Academy Awards.

“I have completed treatment for alcohol addiction; something I’ve dealt with in the past and will continue to confront,” he wrote.

“I want to live life to the fullest and be the best father I can be. I want my kids to know there is no shame in getting help when you need it, and to be a source of strength for anyone out there who needs help but is afraid to take the first step. I’m lucky to have the love of my family and friends, including my co-parent, [Jennifer Garner], who has supported me and cared for our kids as I’ve done the work I set out to do…This was the first of many steps being taken towards a positive recovery.”

What’s interesting about his statement is that he called Jennifer Garner his “co-parent” and not his wife. This is even though People Magazine reported that the two actors called off their divorce after separating two years ago. Is this a hint that their divorce is still going to happen?

Since that announcement from People, TMZ reported that their sources said that the divorce is still very much on.

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Ben Affleck’s Alcohol Addiction Caused The Split?

Was Ben Affleck’s alcohol addiction at the root of the problem that caused the couple to consider divorce in the first place?

When Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner announced their separation, tabloids did not connect Ben Affleck’s alcohol addiction to the breakup of the marriage.

“After much thought and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to divorce,” the pair said in a joint statement to E! News at the time of the announcement. “We go forward with love and friendship for one another and a commitment to co-parenting our children whose privacy we ask to be respected during this difficult time.”

In a 2016 Vanity Fair cover interview, Garner said that amidst the hoopla around the divorce announcement, her focus was on her kids.

“I cannot be driven by the optics of this. I cannot let anger or hurt be my engine. I need to move with the big picture always on my mind, and the kids first and foremost.”

But, as Entertainment Tonight reports Affleck’s alcohol addiction has been something he’s been dealing with for quite some time.

In 2001, Ben entered a thirty-day rehabilitation program after his hard-partying ways had caught up to him.

“Ben is a self-aware and smart man who has decided that a fuller life awaits him without alcohol,” his PR rep said at the time. “He is committed to traveling to a healthier road with the support of his family friends and fans.”

Affleck talked about his stint in rehab during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2012.

“I went to rehab for being 29 and partying too much and not having a lot of boundaries and to clear my head and try to get some idea of who I wanted to be,” Affleck said. “It was more a ‘let me get myself straight,’ before it became a rite of passage.”

Insiders had previously spoken about the sobering effect that his marriage to Jennifer Garner had had on his behavior. Friends apparently noticed a distinct change in Ben when he got with Garner. Her “positive influence” on him “lasted a long time,” the insiders said.

But the question remains; did Ben Affleck’s alcohol addiction cause the couple to separate? Did he go to rehab in a desperate attempt to save his marriage?

If you look at the timing, it definitely seems that way. The announcement that Jen called off the divorce came on March 8, and as we mentioned earlier, there are rumors that he checked in right after the Oscars which were on February 26.

We’ll probably never really know how much of a negative impact Ben Affleck’s alcohol addiction had on his marriage to Jennifer Garner. We can only hope that rehab helps their ten-year marriage survive.

[Featured Image by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images]

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