On Tuesday, Ben Affleck told Howard Stern that he was debating getting back together with Jennifer
Lopez because of his 'Responsibility' to his children and his concern for their
safety. In an eye-opening interview with longtime radio show host Howard Stern,
he got candid about his personal life. The Gone Girl star, 49, appeared on The
Howard Stern Show to discuss a variety of topics, including his career, reputation,
marriage to Jennifer Garner, alcoholism, and his relationship with Jennifer Lopez,
including why he was hesitant to rekindle their romance 17 years after
they called off their engagement in 2004. "Was there a hesitation on your part,
because now you're a dad?" Stern asked Affleck, noting that Lopez "brings even more attention"
to everything he does and noting that he has always wanted a private life for his kids!
Ben opened up about this concern and about his kids’ feelings about Lopez. We have it all for
you but before we get to it, make sure that you like this video and subscribe to our channel for
the latest celebrity gossip, and also hit the bell icon, so you never miss an update.
Let’s get right into the good stuff now. "It crossed my mind for sure," Affleck
told Stern of getting back together with the "Let's Get Loud" singer. "My responsibility to
my children is the highest responsibility. I don't want to do anything that is painful or
destructive to them if I can help it." Violet, 16, and Seraphina, 12,
as well as son Samuel, 9, are Affleck's children with ex-wife Jennifer Garner,
49. And They are the reason he had been hesitant to rekindle his relationship with the singer.
"That being said, I know that my life affects them," Affleck continued, noting that his
and Garner's celebrity status is a "cross to bear" for their children.
In addition to briefly discussing his romance with the 52-year-old "On My Way" singer, the
Tender Bar star opened up about his marriage to Garner and how the two tried to work things out.
“Everything you read [about the divorce] was bulls--t. The truth was we took our time,
we made our decision. We grew apart,” he said, likely referring to tabloid
rumors he had an affair with their nanny, which his camp has since denied.
“We had a marriage that didn’t work. This happens. She’s somebody I love and respect, but to whom I
shouldn’t be married any longer.” Good marriage turns bad, a tale as old as time. “Ultimately,
we tried, we tried, we tried because we had kids, but both of us felt like we didn’t want this
to be the model that our kids see of marriage,” “We did it amicably. We did our best. Did we have
moments of tension? Did we have disagreements over custody? Was stuff difficult for us?
Did we get angry? Yes, but fundamentally it was always underpinned with a respect,” he said,
adding, “I knew she was a good mom. I always hoped she knew I was a good dad. I knew I was.”
Ben, who has previously spoken openly about his struggles with alcohol,
also discussed his journey to sobriety, claiming that the way his children looked at him at his
lowest point was what prompted him to seek help. “The cure for addiction is suffering,” he said.
“You suffer enough before something inside you goes, ‘That’s enough,” he said. “I’m lucky because
I hit that point before I lost the things that were most important. Not my career or money—it
was my relationship with my kids, and when I felt as if it impacted them, I recognized it.”
“It was my kids. Since that day, I swear to Christ, I have not wanted to drink once,”
he went on. “I am not cured. I am not a preacher, but there is a happy ending if you can get there.”
Ben also revealed why he started drinking in the first place and why he and Jennifer took so long
to get divorced. “Part of why I started drinking was because I was trapped,” he said. “I was like,
‘I can’t leave because of my kids, but I’m not happy, what do I do?’ And what I did was [I]
drank a bottle of scotch and fell asleep on the couch, which turned out not to be the solution.”
“Ultimately, we tried, we tried, we tried because we had kids, but both of us felt
like we didn’t want this to be the model that our kids see of marriage,” he added.
As for Garner, she told Vanity Fair in 2016, after the 2015 divorce announcement, “I’m a pretty hard
worker. It’s one of the pains in my life that something I believe in so strongly I’ve completely
failed at twice. You have to have two people to dance a marriage. My heart’s a little on the
tender side right now, and it’s always easier to focus on the ways that you feel hurt, but I know
that, with time and some perspective, I’ll have a clearer sense of where I let the system down
because there’s no way I get off in this.” “I definitely put a lot of time towards
my marriage that I will now have for myself,” she said. “I don’t know how I will use that.”
And of a large tattoo of a phoenix Affleck got on his back after the split, she said,
“You know what we would say in my hometown about that? ‘Bless his heart.’
A phoenix rising from the ashes. Am I the ashes in this scenario?
I take umbrage. I refuse to be the ashes.” Whether he meant Garner as the ashes or not,
but one thing we know for sure is that whatever he does is for the kids!
He and Lopez reportedly have big plans to spend some quality time together over the holidays,
keeping their children very involved in their relationship.
Since their rekindled romance, Ben and J.Lo have been seen out and about with his kids
and her 13-year-old twins, Max and Emme, whom she shares with her ex Marc Anthony,
demonstrating that they're willing to share their lives as parents together.
"They plan on spending the holidays together with the kids and also taking some solo trips,"
the source added. "They want to be together all of the time,
so their next big things are Thanksgiving and Christmas with all the kids. There is a lot to
coordinate, so they are figuring it out." According to a November source who spoke
with PEOPLE, "They're doing a fantastic job. Jennifer looks forward to spending time with Ben.
It was meant to be, she believes." According to a separate source,
despite their busy schedules, Affleck and Lopez are looking forward to spending the holidays
together this year. "Christmas for Jennifer is all about the kids," the source revealed.
"She goes above and beyond to make it unique for them. She is a huge fan of the holiday season."
The source claims that "It will take a little more planning this year because Ben
also wants to spend time with his children. They haven't made any holiday plans yet and are still
trying to figure out what they want to do." And when it comes to career and movie premiers,
The 49-year-old actor stunned on the red carpet with his lady love
at the Chinese Theater's Los Angeles premiere of his film, The Tender Bar, on Sunday.
Affleck wore a Ralph Lauren Purple Label three-piece suit,
while Lopez wore a sheer sky blue gown. While the couple displayed some PDA on
the red carpet, Affleck remained tight-lipped about his relationship with the 52-year-old
actress when speaking with ET's Kevin Frazier. Even though it was his movie premiere, but a
reporter couldn’t help but ask Affleck about his recent status as a meme while sitting courtside
with Lopez at a Los Angeles Lakers game "I am a big sports guy, I'm not a big meme guy,
I don't follow the memes. My kids like the memes. My kids think the highest form of success in life
is to become a meme, so in that sense, they have to be proud of me despite outward appearances."
Affleck says he has no plans to respond to any online memes. "If I got in the business
of commenting on all the memes on the Internet, it would force me to be witty, and I just can’t.
I just don’t have that to bring, so I'm just gonna let it speak for itself."
Seems like a busy season for Ben and Jen with the holidays and movie premieres as well.
Tell us in the comment section your thoughts about his kids and their relationship with
their dad’s girlfriend. Also, make sure to like this video and subscribe to our channel.
We will see you in the next video; till then, Hasta La Vista!