Ben Affleck is sharing his truth. The Oscar winner broke his silence on Thursday, October 4, after completing his third stint in rehab.
“This week I completed a 40-day stay at a treatment center for alcohol addiction and remain in outpatient care,” he wrote in a statement posted on Instagram. “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. Battling any addiction is a lifelong and difficult struggle. Because of that, one is never really in or out of treatment. It is a full-time commitment. I am fighting for myself and my family.”
The statement continued, “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. Your strength is inspiring and supporting me in ways I didn’t think was possible. It helps to know I am not alone. As I’ve had to remind myself, if you have a problem, getting help is a sign of courage, not weakness or failure. 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, 46, checked into rehab on August 22 after his estranged wife, Jennifer Garner, and a sober coach helped stage an intervention at his bachelor pad in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. “Ben has been struggling, and it got to a point where he wanted help and knew he needed help,” a source told Us Weekly exclusively at the time.
Days earlier, the Justice League star and his girlfriend, Saturday Night Live producer Lindsay Shookus, called it quits after more than a year together. He was later spotted out and about with Playboy model Shauna Sexton, who is 24 years his junior.
Affleck previously sought treatment for his battle with alcoholism in 2001 and early 2017. He continued to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings after his second stint.
“Ben works incredibly hard to follow a program that makes sense for him and his journey,” a source previously told Us. “He attends meetings, works with a sober coach and takes whatever steps he feels will help him along the way. Knowing when to seek help is one of those steps, and his willingness to do so is a major step in the right direction.”
Through it all, the actor’s main focus has been his three children with Garner: daughters Violet, 12, and Seraphina, 9, and son Samuel, 6. A source told Us in August that the actress was not “willing to settle the custody issues until she’s 100 percent certain that he’s clean.” As Affleck continued to make progress in rehab, Garner filed court documents on Monday, October 1, to speed up their divorce process with the help of a private judge.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
