Ben Affleck Talks Life After Batman and Alcoholism

Michael Prieve 3 Min Read
Ben Affleck Netflix World Premiere of TRIPLE FRONTIER
Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Netflix

Ben Affleck is speaking out about his difficult 2018 when he returned to rehab last year.

The Triple Frontier actor appeared on Today to address his struggle with alcoholism, visited Today on Monday, March 4, to discuss his addiction candidly.

“It doesn’t really bother me to talk about alcoholism and being an alcoholic,” he told host Hoda Kotb.

RELATED: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner Are Finally Divorced

“It’s part of my life, it’s something that I deal with. It doesn’t have to subsume my whole identity and be everything but it’s something you have to work at.”

The father-of-three added, “I feel like I had a problem and really wanted to address it.”

Ben Affleck US-OSCARS-ARRIVALS
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

During the interview, Ben had nothing but rave reviews for his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, with whom he shares Violet, 13, Seraphina, 10, and Samuel, 7. “She’s wonderful. When somebody’s the mother of your kids, they’re going to be the most important, central part in your life, and that’s good,” he gushed.

Becoming sober hasn't been the only major change for the actor this pas year.

After Affleck gave confirmation that he was leaving his role as Batman in a tweet, and during a recent interview with ET, Affleck discussed how he broke the news to his son, where he said something that kind of summed it up nicely.

“He took the news okay. He kind of understands that there’s time for everything. [Samuel] is not quite old enough to understand that I was gonna direct [a Batman movie], but I couldn’t figure out how to do it. I didn’t love it enough.”

Ben Affleck 'Justice League' Photocall
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“I just kinda stuck with like, you know, ‘It was my turn and now it somebody else’s turn.' Because he understands turn taking.”

That pretty much says it all.

The Oscar-winning filmmaker confirmed he was stepping down as Batman on Jimmy Kimmel Live in February, after having originally planned to star in, and direct, 2021’s The Batman.

Ben Affleck "Triple Frontier" World Premiere
Noam Galai/Getty Images

Affleck said: “I tried to direct a version of it, I worked with a really good screenwriter, but I couldn’t crack it. And so I thought it was time for someone else to take a shot at it, and they’ve got really good people.”

While Ben may be in flux in the superhero department, his love life seems to be doing okay. It looks as if Affleck has gotten back together with ex-girlfriend Lindsay Shookus.

Shookus, 38, and Affleck, 46, attended the New York City premiere of Triple Frontier on Sunday night (March 03, 2019).

While they didn’t walk the red carpet together, they were seen walking out side-by-side in the snowy weather.

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