Ben Affleck was drinking alone for days at his Los Angeles home before his ex Jennifer Garner picked him up and drove him to The Canyons rehab facility in Malibu on August 22.
Even though he had been getting treatment for years and had been attending therapy as well as getting help from a sober coach, the 46-year-old Oscar winner had hit bottom.
‘He was in bad shape. He had barely been eating and had not showered. It didn’t take much convincing. He wanted to go, and he cooperated,’ a source told People. ‘He knew he needed help and was vocal about it.’
On a binge: Ben Affleck was drinking alone for days at home before his ex Jennifer Garner picked him up and drove him to Canyons rehab in Malibu; seen on August 22
She knew what she was doing: It was also revealed that when Garner, 46, went to his home, she had an addiction therapist with her. Seen on Tuesday at the premiere of her new action film Peppermint
Turns out he could not shut out whatever demons haunt him.
‘Ben went into a darker and darker place until he had to reach out for help,’ said the friend.
He has already been in rehab twice before – in 2001 and 2017.
It was also revealed that when Garner, 46, went to his home, she had an addiction therapist with her.
Tough past: He has already been in rehab twice before – in 2001 and 2017. Here Ben is seen with a drink in front of him as he talked to Bruce Willis in 2000
Earlier, it had been reported that she also brought a lawyer.
‘He’s battled addiction for a long time now,’ said a source. ‘He has been constantly working on himself.’
But his July split from SNL producer Lindsay Shookus caused him pain.
‘When it was good it was really really good, an insider told People Tuesday. ‘When they were in the same time zone and not focused on other things it was good. It became incredibly complicated with their families, with their jobs.’
Split: Affleck and Lindsay Shookus were ‘really good’ together, a source told People Tuesday, but the relationship was ‘complicated with their families, with their jobs’
The source added that Affleck ‘really liked’ TV producer Shookus, 38.
‘He loved that she was smart, funny, opinionated,’ the source told People. ‘When they were together it brought him a bit outside of his comfort zone. She brought a bit of fresh air into his life that he needed.’
The couple recently broke up, however, as a result of the actor’s ongoing issues with alcohol addiction.
Shookus, it seems, supported him in his sobriety and attended meetings with him.
But ultimately, his downward spiral over the past several weeks proved too much.
‘It was very hard for her to break up with Ben, but she knew he wasn’t getting better and that it was time for her to step aside,’ an insider revealed.
Fun time: Affleck was spotted out with Playboy model Shauna Sexton, 22, a couple of weeks ago following his breakup with Shookus
Off the wagon: Affleck was also seen accepting a delivery of alcohol to his home despite having twice sought treatment for alcohol addiction in the past
After being spotted dining out with Playboy model Shauna Sexton, 22, two weeks ago and taking delivery of a box of booze at his home, Garner staged an intervention.
She drove him to a residential facility in Malibu last Wednesday where he is now receiving treatment.
He is expecting to be there for over the standard 28 days.
She has been a rock for him: Affleck and Garner broke up in the summer of 2015 and their divorce has just been finalized. They share three children – Violet, 12, Seraphina, nine, and Samuel, six. Seen in 2013
Affleck and Garner broke up in the summer of 2015 and their divorce has just been finalized.
They share three children – Violet, 12, Seraphina, nine, and Samuel, six.
The actor is said to have fallen off the wagon ‘a while ago’, and has ‘gotten progressively worse’.
Garner is said to have ‘read him the riot act’ a few weeks ago, telling him that he needed to clean up for the sake of their children.
She gave him both barrels while the pair were watching a children’s soccer game in front of other parents, Radar Online reported.
‘She doesn’t want her kids to grow up without a dad,’ the source said, adding that she told him to stop acting ‘selfish and childish’.
‘She believes he needs to start acting more like a dad and less like a kid.’
Family: Garner with her three kids in Hollywood last week as she received her star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame