Ben Affleck reflects on 'painful' mischaracterization of his comments about ex Jennifer Garner

Ben Affleck has a different approach to fame after being burned in the past.

In fact, the Justice League star is reflecting on a difficult period in his life when comments he made about his marriage to Jennifer Garner were misconstrued.

"I had a really painful experience where I did an interview where I was really vulnerable," Affleck—discussing why he avoids Instagram and is cautious of interviews—recalled in a March 16 cover story for The Hollywood Reporter, "and the entire pickup was something that was not only not right, it was actually the opposite of what I meant."

During a Dec. 2021 conversation with Howard Stern, Affleck was very open about his alcohol addiction and the demise of his marriage to Garner, who he shares kids Violet, 17, Seraphina, 14, and Samuel, 11, with.

And although the Gone Girl actor initially walked away satisfied with the interview, his words quickly made headlines. "The idea that I was blaming my wife for my drinking. To be clear, my behavior is my responsibility entirely," Affleck told THR. "The point that I was trying to make was a sad one. Anyone who's been through divorce makes that calculus of, How much do we try?"

Affleck and Garner, both 50, announced their breakup in 2015 after 10 years of marriage.