Ben Affleck has faced significant challenges over the past year, with sources suggesting that his separation from Jennifer Lopez was a deliberate choice for one devastating reason.
The 51-year-old actor reportedly ended his marriage to Lopez, 55, because her glamorous lifestyle was threatening his stability.
According to insiders who spoke to RadarOnline, Affleck found the marriage to be “incredibly overwhelming.”
One source noted: “J.Lo lives a very glam lifestyle, and he was often faced with temptation.”
Affleck, who has struggled with addiction for years and undergone multiple stints in rehab, was reportedly “risking his sobriety in that environment” and felt that he had “to leave to avoid his worst nightmare – a relapse.”
Lopez, who for years abstained from drinking, began to indulge occasionally after launching her Delola cocktail line in 2023.
She emphasized her moderation, stating: “I do drink responsibly. I don’t drink to get s***faced.”
However, for someone like Affleck, who has battled addiction, even moderate drinking in his environment posed a significant risk. As an insider explained to RadarOnline: “It’s really unhealthy for him to be around any kind of alcohol. And with J. Lo, the drinking came with parties, surrounded by fake people who treated him special because of his fame, which was a trigger for him.”
The stress of an unhappy marriage may have also contributed to Affleck’s decision. He had previously opened up about the end of his 10-year marriage to Jennifer Garner in 2021, revealing how the dissatisfaction in his relationship led him to alcohol.
“It’s part of why I started drinking…because I was trapped,” Affleck said at the time, during an episode of The Howard Stern Show. “I was like, ‘I can’t leave because of my kids, but I’m not happy, what do I do?’ What I did was drink a bottle of Scotch and fall asleep on the couch, which turned out to be the solution.”
Affleck and Garner eventually separated in 2015, and the actor entered rehab two years later in 2017. Garner, now 52, even staged an intervention in 2018, personally driving Affleck to another rehab facility, the same year their divorce was finalized.
Now, following his rumored split from Lopez, Affleck is reportedly adjusting to life on his own once again.
He has kept himself busy over the past few months, filming The Accountant 2, managing the studio he co-founded with his longtime friend Matt Damon in 2022, and preparing for his next directing project.
“He’s moving on. His plate is full. That’s just how Ben deals with adversity now that he’s committed to staying sober: He buckles down and focuses on the work. He’s not looking back,” the insider said.
Ultimately, ending his marriage to Lopez appears to have been the best decision for Affleck. According to those close to him, had he not taken this step, there was a real risk that he could have relapsed.
“If Ben hadn’t ended it, many believe he would have eventually started drinking again – and that would have been a disaster,” the insider concluded.
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