Ben Affleck
Is a fourth stint in rehab on the cards for the actor?
HALLOWEEN IS A TIME OF horror, and for those close to Ben Affleck it has been downright terrifying, as the actor has seemingly fallen off the wagon yet again. A year after his estranged wife, Jennifer Garner, staged an intervention, driving him to a recovery facility in Malibu for treatment, Affleck was seen stumbling out of a Halloween party at the La Peer Hotel in Los Angeles with a mystery woman.
The 47-year-old was on his way home from the UNICEF Masquerade Ball on October 26 when he was seen falling backwards into a car “before catching himself on the vehicle”, reports TMZ, sparking new fears for the father of three. Following the sobriety setback, Affleck arrived at Garner’s house, where he admitted he had slipped up, but was “not going to let it derail me”. The star refused to say whether he’d head back to a treatment centre to address his demons.
“You could tell that it wasn’t an easy thing for him, but Ben owned his mistake,” a source tells WHO. “He said it happens, that he slipped up but it won’t happen again. It was a smart move because now the story is basically over.”
The Oscar winner has been fighting alcohol addiction for years, entering rehab on three separate occasions – the most recent in October last year when he completed a 40-day stay. “Battling any addiction is a lifelong and difficult struggle,” he said at the time. “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.”
Affleck has admitted his addiction is something he’s “dealt with in the past and will continue to confront”, especially for the sake of his children, Violet, 13, Seraphina, 10, and Samuel, 7. “I want to … be the best father I can be,” he said. “I want my kids to know there is no shame in getting help when you need it.”•