Jennifer Garner has been pictured out after ex-husband Ben Affleck landed himself in hot water on Tuesday, for saying he felt ‘trapped’ in their marriage and would ‘never have got sober’ if they were still together.
The actress appeared to be shrugging off the controversy, as she put on a brave face while out with her children, Seraphina, 12, and son Samuel, nine, that she shares with Affleck. They also have a daughter, Violet, 15.
However, sources have claimed that the Alias star is ‘not OK’ with Affleck’s comments, and feels as though they were a ‘slap in the face.’
Garner, who has rarely spoken about her marriage unlike Affleck, stepped out dressed casually with a coffee in hand, as her ex was blasted on social media on Tuesday.
The online backlash also swung in favor of Garner, with some dredging up an old quote from the star about Affleck’s infamous back tattoo.
Brave face: Jennifer Garner has been pictured out after ex-husband Ben Affleck landed himself in hot water on Tuesday, for saying he felt ‘trapped’ in their marriage (Pictured with their daughter, Seraphina, 12, on Tuesday)
Speaking to Vanity Fair in 2016, Garner refused to claim responsibility for his midlife crisis inking of a rising phoenix saying: ‘You know what we say in my hometown about that? ‘Bless his heart.’ A phoenix rising from the ashes. Am I the ashes in this scenario?’
‘I take umbrage. I refuse to be the ashes,’ Garner added.
The 49-year-old actor made the eyebrow-raising remarks during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show on Tuesday, when he stated that he ‘probably still would’ve been drinking’ if he hadn’t separated from Garner, 49, in 2015.
Affleck, who has three children with his ex-wife, told Stern: ‘Part of why I started drinking was because I was trapped.
Marching on: Garner was pictured out with her children Seraphina, 12, and son Samuel, nine, that she shares with Affleck
Comments: Affleck, who has three children with his ex-wife, told Stern: ‘Part of why I started drinking was because I was trapped’
Heat: the actor’s candid comments have sparked a firestorm on social media, where users accused Affleck of trying to ‘blame’ his alcohol issue on Garner
Walk it off: Garner seemed oblivious to the drama on Tuesday, but a source has claimed she is ‘not OK’ with Affleck’s comments
‘I was like, “I can’t leave because of my kids, but I’m not happy, what do I do?” And what I did was [I] drank a bottle of scotch and fell asleep on the couch, which turned out not to be the solution.’
A source told InTouch on Wednesday that Garner is ‘not OK’ with her ex regarding the situation.
‘Jen isn’t particularly happy with Ben’s wording on the subject of why they divorced,’ the source claimed.
The source added that the comments were a ‘slap in the face’ to Garner.
Meanwhile, his candid comments have sparked a firestorm on social media, where users accused Affleck of trying to ‘blame’ his alcohol issue on Garner – who was famously pictured driving her ex-husband to rehab in 2018, three years after they separated.
‘You blame your ex wife for drinking? You were a drunk before you married her!’ one impassioned Twitter user wrote.
‘Speaking poorly about the mother of your children pretty much makes to [sic] a terrible father and a total d***head!’ the Twitter user continued, while several others demanded that Affleck take ‘responsibility’ for his own actions.
Backlash: Ben Affleck is getting backlash for ‘blaming’ his ex-wife Jennifer Garner for his past alcoholism which he recently claimed was a side effect of feeling ‘trapped’ in their marriage
Garner, 49, split from Affleck in 2015, however she was famously pictured driving him to rehab in 2018 (pictured) after he agreed to seek help for a third time
Another disgruntled fan wrote: ‘@BenAffleck sounds like [you’re] blaming your ex-wife for your drinking! Scumbag!’
Ben and Jennifer officially split in June 2015, just one day after their ten-year anniversary.
During the span of their decade-long marriage, the former couple welcomed daughters Violet, 15, Seraphina, 12, and son Samuel, nine, and Affleck told Stern that the couple’s decision to split came large as a result of the impact they feared their relationship would have on their children, saying they didn’t want their marriage to be ‘the model that our kids see’.
Three years after Affleck and Garner split, the actor was seen being driven to rehab for the third time by his ex-wife, with images capturing him sitting in the back of a car, while she was behind the wheel.
At the time, it was reported by TMZ that Garner staged an intervention for her ex-husband and pleaded with him to get help for his alcoholism.
Witnesses said that she arrived at Affleck’s Pacific Palisades home carrying a bible and accompanied by a lawyer. An emotional Affleck was then seen leaving the house in a car driven by Garner, before reportedly checking in at The Canyon live-in rehab facility in Malibu that same evening.
In the wake of his Howard Stern interview, social media was quick to hit out at the star for shifting the blame, as well as to scold him for seemingly putting Garner on blast so publicly.
‘You’re a d***head. Even if that’s the case about unhappiness in your marriage why would you drag your ex through the mud publicly and seemingly blame that situation for your own self destructive choices,’ read one tweet, with another simply stating: ‘Ben Affleck confirms… he is still the worst.’
Though Ben felt comfortable enough to speak candidly about his alcoholism, many found the remarks aimed at Jennifer and their marriage to be in poor taste.
‘#BenAffleck is unlikeable. Don’t blame your ex-wife for your issues,’ read one aggressive tweet, while another angered fan deemed the statement a ‘cheap shot.’
Disapproval: ‘You blame your ex wife for drinking? You were a drunk before you married her!’ tweeted out one impassioned Twitter user, with several others demanding him to take ‘responsibility’ for his own actions
Blame game: Mirroring earlier tweets, another disgruntled fan wrote: ‘@BenAffleck sounds like your blaming your ex-wife for your drinking! Scumbag!’
Ruthless: In wake of his Howard Stern comments, social media was quick to brand him a variety of explicit names, as well as to scold him for seemingly putting Garner on blast so publicly
Cheap shot: ‘Cheap shot saying you were trapped in a marriage and it caused you to drink. Way to take some responsibilities for your part’ read one tweet
Yikes: One Twitter user went as far as to call the Tender Bar actor an ‘A**HOLE with NO CLASS’ and hoped that his three children will ‘stop speaking to you for good because you truly aren’t good enough for them.
Over it: One fan of Affleck’s was seemingly annoyed with the fact he brought up his ex-wife in the interview
‘Cheap shot saying you were trapped in a marriage and it caused you to drink. Way to take some responsibilities for your part.’
One Twitter user went as far as to call the Tender Bar actor an ‘A**HOLE with NO CLASS’ and hoped that his three children will ‘stop speaking to you for good because you truly aren’t good enough for them.’
Being that Affleck is ‘an alcoholic recovering or otherwise,’ one fan found it unsettling that he is seemingly ‘blaming others for his issues.’
They continued: ‘Therapy would have better served him than a bartender. I’m sure he’s just lovely to live with also. Horrible to say about the mother of his kids publicly even if she is difficult.’
Unlikeable: ‘#BenAffleck is unlikeable. Don’t blame your ex-wife for your issues,’ read one aggressive tweet, while another angered fan deemed the statement a ‘cheap shot.
No holding back: ‘You’re a d***head. Even if that’s the case about unhappiness in your marriage why would you drag your ex through the mud publicly and seemingly blame that situation for your own self destructive choices,’ read one tweet, with another simply stating: ‘Ben Affleck confirms… he is still the worst’
Being that Affleck is ‘an alcoholic recovering or otherwise,’ one fan found it unsettling that he is seemingly ‘blaming others for his issues’
Harsh: Many of the reactive tweets featured screengrabs of other outlets covering Ben’s remarks about Jennifer
Confused: ‘how was it possible for him to still feel trapped after the divorce since he had Jennifer Garner drive him to rehab? @BenAffleck is lower than pond scum. Real pathetic excuse of a human’ read another impassioned tweet
Another wrote: ‘how was it possible for him to still feel trapped after the divorce since he had Jennifer Garner drive him to rehab? @BenAffleck is lower than pond scum. Real pathetic excuse of a human.’
The Good Will Hunting star opened up about his marriage with Garner on Tuesday’s Howard Stern show episode, where he also admitted to having hesitation over rekindling his relationship with ex-fiancée Jennifer Lopez.
‘We probably would’ve ended up at each other’s throats. I probably still would’ve been drinking,’ he said of his time with the Alias actress.
‘Part of why I started drinking was because I was trapped,’ he went on. ‘I was like, “I can’t leave because of my kids, but I’m not happy, what do I do?” And what I did was [I] drank a bottle of scotch and fell asleep on the couch, which turned out not to be the solution.’
‘Ultimately, we tried, we tried, we tried because we had kids, but both of us felt like we didn’t want this to be the model that our kids see of marriage,’ he added.
Since then, Ben has rekindled his romance with Jennifer Lopez, 52, with whom he was previously engaged to before they broke it off in January 2004.
Famously dubbed ‘Bennifer’ both Ben and Jen understandably cause quite the stir when they are together, but the actor confessed he thought twice about the romance due to the affect it could have on his children.
Asked if he had doubts about going there again with J-Lo, Ben told Howard: ‘It crossed my mind for sure. My responsibility to my children is the highest responsibility. I don’t want to do anything that is painful or destructive to them if I can help it.’
Ben further explained how being in a celebrity couple with ex-wife Garner, can affect their three children, Violet, 16, Seraphina, 12, and Samuel, nine, who live life under the spotlight as well.
‘My life affects them. Me and their mom are celebrities. That is hard. That is a cross to bear,’ he told the radio host.
Adding about the breakdown of his marriage, he said: ‘The truth was we took our time, we made the decision, we grew apart.’
‘We had a marriage that didn’t work. We tried because we had kids. We did not want it to be the model of marriage for the kids. We did our best. I knew she was a good mom, and I hoped she knew I was a good dad. I had to get sober, and I acknowledge that.’
The Paycheck star admitted that his ‘rock bottom’ moment in his alcoholism battle, was when he saw how his children looked at him.
‘The cure for addiction is suffering,’ he said. ‘You suffer enough before something inside you goes, “That’s enough.”‘
The actor has previously been open about his struggle with alcohol addiction.
‘It was my kids. Since that day, I swear to Christ, I have not wanted to drink once. I am not cured. I am not a preacher, but there is a happy ending if you can get there.’
Ben started dating J-Lo again in April after she split from her fiance Alex Rodriguez.
He had most recently been linked with No Time to Die star Ana de Armas.
Rekindled: Ben also admitted that he hesitated over getting back with ex-fiancée Jennifer Lopez, due to all the intense interest there is in the celebrity couple