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Ben Affleck: Divorcing Jennifer Garner is 'the biggest regret of my life'

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Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck (Photo: Getty Images)
Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck (Photo: Getty Images)

Ben Affleck just had his most revealing interview yet.

The Way Back star recently sat down with Brooks Barnes for The New York Times, opening up about everything from his giant back tattoo to his alcoholism – the later playing a big part in his separation from Jennifer Garner.

The couple who first started dating when they met on the set of Daredevil in 2003, went on to marry in 2005 before welcoming three children together. They split in June 2015 though, shortly after their 10-year anniversary.

"The biggest regret of my life is this divorce," Ben said, reflecting with Brooks.

"Shame is really toxic. There is no positive byproduct of shame. It's just stewing in a toxic, hideous feeling of low self-worth and self-loathing. It's not particularly healthy for me to obsess over the failures – the relapses – and beat myself up," he said.

"I have certainly made mistakes. I have certainly done things that I regret. But you've got to pick yourself up, learn from it, learn some more, try to move forward."

The 47-year-old went on to discuss his battle with sobriety and how it affected his marriage. "My drinking, of course, created more marital problems," he said, adding that when his marriage felt like it was falling apart, he "started drinking more and more".

Ben has had a series of relapses since checking himself into rehab – his most recent was in October 2019 when he was spotted stumbling down the streets of West Hollywood.

"Well, you know, it happens," he told paparazzi, at the time when he was photographed leaving Jennifer Garner's home. "It's a slip, but I'm not going to let it derail me."

Now, the actor's latest film shows him returning to the big screen with The Way Back.

The film reportedly mirrors the star's personal life to some degree as it follows the story of a widowed former basketball star who struggles with addiction. 

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