Answer Addiction

Tag: Ben Affleck

  • Matt Damon Gives Update On Ben Affleck's Recovery Journey

    Matt Damon Gives Update On Ben Affleck's Recovery Journey

    The A–list pals are teaming up for their first collaboration since Good Will Hunting. 

    At a UNICEF masquerade Halloween ball in West Hollywood, Ben Affleck, who recently left rehab for alcoholism, appeared intoxicated leading many to wonder if he had fallen off the wagon. Affleck wasted no time in confirming that he had relapsed but that his sobriety remained of the utmost importance.

    “It happens, it’s a slip, but I’m not going to let it derail me,” Affleck told paparazzi the day after the party. Since the high-profile slip, Affleck has laid low but his long-time friend and collaborator gave an update on his Good Will Hunting co-star.

    Damon Speaks

    “He’s looking great, and he’s doing great,” Damon said, according to The Blast. “We’ve been working together on this screenplay, and … he’s just doing great.”

    The duo are working on their first project since Good Will Hunting, which earned the duo an Academy Award for  best screenplay and a place in Hollywood’s A-List. According to Deadline, the duo are co-writing The Last Duel based on the book 

    Affleck has been transparent with the public about his battle with alcoholism. In 2018, Affleck addressed his decision to open up about his journey to sobriety on Today while promoting his Netflix movie Triple Frontier. 

    “Being an alcoholic, it’s part of my life, it’s something that I deal with,” Affleck told host Hoda Kotb. “It doesn’t have to subsume my whole identity and be everything but it is something that you have to work at.”

    His Rehab Stints

    The Argo director first entered rehab in 2003 for alcohol addiction. (He was driven to the Malibu rehab by pal Charlie Sheen.) Ater completing a 30-day program, Affleck returned to movie-making and found love with actress Jennifer Garner. The Daredevil stars married in 2005 and began their family. After a decade of marriage, they parted ways but Garner remained an important person in Affleck’s life.

    A couple years after they parted ways, Affleck entered rehab for the second time in 2017, with the support of Garner.

    “I’m lucky to have the love of my family and friends, including my co-parent, Jen, who has supported me and cared for our kids as I’ve done the work I set out to do,” Affleck wrote in a 2017 statement. “This was the first of many steps being taken towards a positive recovery.”

    Navigating superstardom, family life and sobriety is particularly difficult but Affleck understands that the addiction struggle doesn’t end after 30 days in rehab.

    “Battling any addiction is a lifelong and difficult struggle,” the actor wrote on Instagram in 2018. “Because of that one is never really in or out of treatment. It is a full-time commitment. I;m fighting for myself and my family.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Ben Affleck Addresses Recent Relapse, Says It Won't "Derail Him"

    Ben Affleck Addresses Recent Relapse, Says It Won't "Derail Him"

    Affleck was spotted imbibing at a Halloween party this past weekend. 

    Actor Ben Affleck, who has struggled with alcohol addiction since the mid-1990s, looked to be inebriated after a Hollywood Halloween party on Saturday, according to video obtained by TMZ.

    The video shows him stumbling a bit after posing for a photo, then nearly falling backward and grabbing an idle SUV for support. He then carefully gets into his own vehicle as the cameraman asks him how he’s been.

    Talking To The Paps

    The next day, Affleck was seen looking no worse for wear and admitted on camera that he had “slipped” but that he’s not going to let that stop him.

    “It happens. It was a slip but I’m not going to let it derail me,” Affleck told paparazzi. “Thank you very much, guys.”

    According to a “friend” who spoke to People, the actor has acknowledged that his recovery is not going to be a perfect journey.

    “Sobriety is difficult and elusive for everyone struggling with addiction,” the source said. “Ben has acknowledged he’s going to slip up from time to time. It was never as if this was simply behind him.”

    The Midnight Mission

    Earlier Saturday, Affleck posted on his Instagram promoting The Midnight Mission, a non-profit organization that helps people experiencing homelessness with services like job training, housing, and addiction treatment.

    In his post, the actor mentioned being sober for over a year and announced that he would be donating to the non-profit while encouraging his followers to do the same.

    “I have been in recovery for over a year and part of that is helping out others,” he wrote. “@themidnightmission is an incredible organization that helps those in need with housing, training, development and recovery. I’m making a donation today because there are people battling addiction every day that don’t have the resources and need help.”

    His Third Rehab Stay

    Affleck was most recently in rehab for his issues with alcohol from late August to early October 2018, which was his third time staying in a facility for addiction treatment. After his 40-day program last year, he posted a statement to his fans explaining that treating an addiction disorder is a lifetime journey.

    “Battling any addiction is a lifelong and difficult struggle,” he said. “Because of that, one is never really in or out of treatment. It is full-time commitment. I am fighting for myself and my family.”

    This July, Affleck credited the treatment center Refuge Recovery for his progress and health in a defense of founder Noah Levine, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple individuals.

    “Working with Noah and his Refuge Recovery program has, quite literally, turned my life around,” said Affleck. “Today I am sober, happy, healthy and have custody of my three children. All of those things are a result of having Noah in my life.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Ben Affleck, One Year Sober, Is “In A Great Place”

    Ben Affleck, One Year Sober, Is “In A Great Place”

    The Triple Frontier actor, who completed a 40-day stay in treatment for alcoholism last year, is doing well.

    Actor Ben Affleck is officially one year sober, after a long-time battle with alcoholism. After a successful 40-day stint at a treatment center, the actor-director is now healthy, happy and dedicating himself to his loved ones.

    “Ben is in a great place both in his recovery and life,” someone close to Affleck told People. “He continues to want to be the best father and friend he can be.”

    This is especially true for actress Jennifer Garner, Affleck’s ex-wife, and the three kids they had together: 13-year-old Violet, 10-year-old Seraphina, and 7-year-old Samuel.

    “He and Jen do amazingly well at co-parenting the children,” reveals People’s source. “They have shared a great summer with the kids doing outings, travels, etc. They have a very trusting and special relationship… Ben’s relationship with Jen is strong. She’s really supportive of Ben, and they work very closely on parenting their kids.”

    Self-Care

    The key to his happiness lies in being able to find time to take care of himself.

    “Ben has found balance between his work and home life,” told the source. “He remains committed to a number of treatment and wellness methods that focus on his health.”

    Affleck’s most recent leg of rehab became public knowledge when he was spotted in a car with Garner, who was driving him to a treatment center on August 22 of last year. It would be Affleck’s third time in.

    The actor went public about his struggles the following October in a post on Instagram.

    Going Public

    “This week I completed a forty-day stay at a treatment center for alcohol addiction and remain in outpatient care,” wrote Affleck in the post. “Battling any addiction is a lifelong and difficult struggle. Because of that, one is never really in or out of treatment. It is full-time commitment. I am fighting for myself and my family.”

    He spoke more about his struggles on Today earlier this year, speaking about how he lives with alcoholism but is determined to not let it define him.

    “It doesn’t have to subsume my whole identity and be everything but it is something that you have to work at,” he said.

    Now, he’s clear-minded and spending more time with his children.

    “He is really enjoying his summer with the family,” another source told People. “Ben was just doting over his kids.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Ben Affleck To Star in New Addiction Drama

    Ben Affleck To Star in New Addiction Drama

    Affleck will play a former basketball star whose struggles with alcohol addiction led to the end of his marriage.

    Ben Affleck will produce and star in a new feature film about a former basketball star in recovery, slated for release during the 2019 awards season, Variety reports.

    Affleck, who is no stranger to recovery off-screen, will re-team with Gavin O’Connor, who directed him in the 2016 action film The Accountant. O’Connor co-wrote the film and will also direct. Warner Bros. has scheduled the drama, which is currently untitled, to debut in theaters on October 18, 2019.

    As Variety noted, Affleck will play a former basketball star whose struggles with alcohol addiction led to the end of his marriage. As part of his recovery, Affleck’s character takes a job as a coach for a high school basketball team at his alma mater. Affleck will star opposite Janina Gavankar (True Blood), comedian and former Daily Show correspondent Al Madrigal, and Australian actress Rachel Carpani.

    Affleck’s production company, Pearl Street, which he shares with fellow actor-writer Matt Damon, will oversee production of the drama, which was known at various times as Torrance and The Has-Been.

    People magazine reported in 2018 that the Oscar-winning actor began preparing for this film, which included daily training and meetings with a basketball coach while completing a 40-day stay in rehab for alcohol dependency. The highly publicized 2018 stint was his third go-around in treatment, following stays in 2001 and 2017.

    “Battling any addiction is a lifelong and difficult struggle,” Affleck wrote on social media after completing his treatment in 2018. “So many people have reached out on social media and spoken about their own journeys with addiction. To those people, I want to say thank you.”

    “With acceptance and humility, I continue to avail myself with the help of so many people, and I am grateful to all those who are there for me I hope down the road I can offer an example to others who are struggling.”

    Affleck, who can currently be seen in the Netflix action drama Triple Frontier, has won two Oscars—for Best Writing on Good Will Hunting, which he co-wrote with Damon, and for Best Picture on Argo, which he directed and co-produced with George Clooney and Grant Heslov. He also won a Golden Globe for Best Director on the latter film.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Ben Affleck Opens Up About Alcoholism

    Ben Affleck Opens Up About Alcoholism

    “Some people are sort of uncomfortable, but it doesn’t really bother me to talk about alcoholism. Being an alcoholic is part of my life; it’s something I deal with,” Affleck said.

    Over the years, Ben Affleck has been increasingly transparent with the public about the place that drinking has had in his life, and in a recent interview with Today, he continued that honesty.

    “I had a problem and I really want to address it and I take some pride in that,” he told Hoda Kotb. “It’s about yourself, your life, your family… we encounter these kinds of hurdles and we have to deal with them.”

    Affleck continued, “I mean, some people are sort of uncomfortable, but it doesn’t really bother me to talk about alcoholism. Being an alcoholic is part of my life; it’s something I deal with.”

    While alcoholism is something that Affleck lives with, he’s determined not to let it define him.

    “It doesn’t have to subsume my whole identity and be everything but it is something that you have to work at,” he said.

    In 2012, Affleck interviewed with Barbara Walters and explained how alcoholism had defined his childhood.

    “[My father] was an alcoholic… I did know that as a child. He drank a lot. My father was a—what did they call him—a real alcoholic. He, you know, drank all day, drank every day, and to his credit, he got sober ultimately. He’s been sober for several decades, which I think is pretty impressive.”

    Affleck stopped drinking at age 24, after he and Matt Damon won the Oscar for their movie Good Will Hunting.

    Then in 2001, after a highly-publicized break-up with Gwyneth Paltrow, Charlie Sheen drove Affleck to Malibu Promises. “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 later told The Hollywood Reporter.

    From 2004 until 2018, Affleck was married to Jennifer Garner. Married life with three kids was quiet until Garner and Affleck split, and since then Affleck has had a series of semi-public incidents with alcohol, the last culminating in having alcohol delivered to his house.

    Shortly after, toward the end of 2018, the actor was photographed in the back of a car with Garner driving him to rehab.

    On Today, Affleck called Garner a “great mom” and said he was lucky to co-parent with her.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Ben Affleck To Portray Former Basketball Star In Recovery

    Ben Affleck To Portray Former Basketball Star In Recovery

    Affleck reportedly began preparing for the role while in rehab with daily training and meetings with a basketball coach.

    As Ben Affleck adjusts to life post-rehab, he’s taking on a new role that he can very much relate to.

    This month, the 46-year-old actor completed a 40-day treatment program for alcohol, which he began in late August. In a statement posted on social media, Affleck shared that he will “remain in outpatient care.”

    He’s now back at work, filming his new movie Torrance, about a former basketball star struggling with substance use disorder who tries to make a comeback by coaching a high school basketball team, according to IMDb.

    Affleck’s problem with alcohol—which he’s been contending with for more than a decade—mirrors his character’s issues.

    People reports that Affleck began preparing for the role while in rehab with daily training and meetings with a basketball coach.

    Affleck previously sought treatment in 2001 and then in 2017. After his most recent stay, he expressed gratitude for the support he’s received throughout his highly publicized ordeal.

    “The support I have received from my family, colleagues and fans means more to me than I can say. It’s given me the strength and support to speak about my illness with others,” Affleck wrote on social media.

    “Battling any addiction is a lifelong and difficult struggle… So many people have reached out on social media and spoken about their own journeys with addiction. To those people, I want to say thank you.”

    His brother, actor Casey Affleck, says he was lucky to have “the kind of resources and time” to be able to go to a good facility and get help.

    “It can’t be easier to have everybody looking at you and taking your picture as you’re walking out of an intervention,” said Casey. “I don’t envy that. I saw my father struggle with it for many years and nobody was following him around with cameras and stuff.”

    Casey added that he and his brother “come from a long line of alcoholics.”

    “Alcoholism has a huge impact on not just the person, but also their family,” Casey told ET in September. “So, I think for his kids’ sake and for their mom, he’s trying to do the work and get it together.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Ben Affleck Speaks Out After Completing Rehab Program

    Ben Affleck Speaks Out After Completing Rehab Program

    The Justice League star told fans on social media he just finished a 40-day rehab stint.

    Actor Ben Affleck took to Instagram on Thursday to tell fans that he’s just finished a 40-day stay in rehab for alcohol addiction treatment.

    “This week I completed a forty day stay at a treatment center for alcohol addiction and remain in outpatient care,” he wrote on Instagram.

    He credited family, friends and fans for providing the support he needed to complete his treatment program and being able to speak about it publicly.

    “The support I have received from my family, colleagues and fans means more to me than I can say,” he admitted in his post. “It’s given me the strength and support to speak about my illness with others.”

    Affleck said that while his family is a major source of strength for his ongoing recovery, fan support also helps to push him through.

    “So many people have reached out on social media and spoken about their own journeys with addiction. To those people, I want to say thank you,” he posted. “Your strength is inspiring and is supporting me in ways I didn’t think was possible. It helps to know I am not alone.”

    He hopes that his being open about recovery as a high-profile celebrity can help others find the courage to seek help.

    “As I’ve had to remind myself, if you have a problem, getting help is a sign of courage, not weakness or failure,” he wrote. “I continue to avail myself with the help of so many people and I am grateful to all those who are there for me. I hope down the road I can offer an example to others who are struggling.”

    Affleck sought help with the support of his estranged wife, actress Jennifer Garner. The two have three children that they are committed to co-parenting despite the soon-to-be-official divorce. She’s been pushing him to get help since last year, and continues to help him today. In fact, Garner was the one who drove him to rehab for this most recent stint, according to People.

    “I want to live life to the fullest and be the best father I can be,” Affleck wrote in a March 2017 Facebook post. “I’m lucky to have the love of my family and friends, including my co-parent, Jen, 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.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Casey Affleck Opens Up About Ben's Alcoholism Struggle, Rehab Stay

    Casey Affleck Opens Up About Ben's Alcoholism Struggle, Rehab Stay

    “I think for his kids’ sake and for their mom, and for himself, he’s trying to do the work and get it together.”

    Actor and director Casey Affleck, brother of Ben Affleck, opened up about his brother’s ongoing struggle with alcohol, also revealing that it’s a family issue. He said that he and his brother “come from a long line of alcoholics.”

    “Ben is an addict and an alcoholic. Most of my grandparents are alcoholics. My father is an alcoholic, as bad as you can be, and he’s been sober for about 30 years,” Affleck, who is “about six years” sober, told ET.

    The Justice League star was admitted to a treatment facility in late August, with the support of estranged wife Jennifer Garner. The actor and director’s relapse attracted plenty of media attention as he sought treatment for the third time. Onlookers speculate that Affleck’s personal life, including a recent break-up, threw his recovery for a loop.

    His brother Casey says he is lucky to have “the kind of resources and time” to go to a good facility and get help.

    “It can’t be easier to have everybody looking at you and taking your picture as you’re walking out of an intervention. I don’t envy that. I saw my father struggle with it for many years and nobody was following him around with cameras and stuff,” said Casey. “It’s not a great look. But on the other hand, it’s nothing to be ashamed of and it’s good that he’s taken care of.”

    Ben sought treatment in 2001 and then in 2017. In March 2017 he released a statement via Facebook announcing that he had completed treatment for alcohol addiction.

    “I have completed treatment for alcohol addiction; something I’ve dealt with in the past and 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.”

    His brother Casey says his family is the driving force of his recovery. “Alcoholism has a huge impact on not just the person, but also their family,” he told ET. “So, I think for his kids’ sake and for their mom, and for himself, he’s trying to do the work and get it together.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Ben Affleck Heads Back To Rehab

    Ben Affleck Heads Back To Rehab

    Days after Affleck entered rehab, news broke that he and actress Jennifer Garner reached a settlement in their divorce.

    Justice League star Ben Affleck headed back to rehab last week in his ongoing battle with alcoholism, as he continues “working incredibly hard” to stay sober.

    “Addiction is not something that goes away,” a source close the actor told People. “Every day is a battle for recovering addicts, they are fighting for their sobriety and to lead healthy, balanced lives every day.”

    Over the past year, the Los Angeles-based actor had been in and out of rehab and spotted visiting various outpatient treatment centers. 

    “He has been attending countless meetings, has continued to work with sober coaches and does his best to follow through with the things that will help him maintain his health,” the source told People.

    It’s been a rough time for the Argo director; just days after he entered rehab, news broke that Affleck and his ex-wife Jennifer Garner reached a settlement in their divorce.

    The couple separated three years ago, and Garner filed for divorce last spring, according to Us Weekly. On Wednesday, she stepped in and drove Affleck to treatment, according to reports.

    Earlier this month, Affleck and Saturday Night Live producer Lindsay Shookus broke off their relationship, a move one source close to the couple attributed to Affleck’s downward spiral. 

    “It was very hard for her to break up with Ben, but she knew he wasn’t getting better and that it was time for her to step aside,” a source told People. “She was trying to stay as close to him as possible so that he would stay on the right path, but ultimately it just wasn’t possible. She knew she had to let him hit bottom.” 

    Affleck’s path to sobriety started in 2001, when Charlie Sheen drove him to a 30-day rehab program. Last spring, he went to treatment again, and later posted about it on Facebook.

    “I want to live life to the fullest and be the best father I can be,” he wrote. “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.”

    View the original article at thefix.com