Ben Affleck Allegedly Entering Rehab For The Third Time, Per ‘TMZ’
Ben Affleck has been making the news this week for allegedly calling it quits with his girlfriend of more than one year, Saturday Night Live producer Lindsay Shookus, and hooking up with 22-year-old Playboy model Shauna Sexton. Now TMZ is reporting that the actor is heading back to rehab to be treated for his ongoing addiction to alcohol.
The website said that Affleck’s ex-wife, actress Jennifer Garner, staged an intervention at his Pacific Palisades, California, home on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 22. The 46-year-old Justice League star reportedly agreed with her assessment of his current situation, and decided it was best that he seek help before it’s too late.
There are photographs of the friendly exes — parents to 12-year-old Violet, 9-year-old Seraphina, and 6-year-old Samuel — driving away from his house together around 6 p.m. PT, and TMZ said their destination was a Los Angeles County-based rehabilitation center.
While it is not known exactly when Affleck fell of the wagon this time, People reported that he was seen receiving a delivery of alcoholic beverages on Monday, August 20.
The magazine said he received “a Pacifico beer-branded box filled with what appeared to be Johnnie Walker Blue Label scotch whisky in a blue case and some other unidentifiable bottles.”
“He’s having a tough time,” an insider recently told Page Six. “It’s unclear what his relationship is with Lindsay, and he still has his relationship with Jen. It’s not easy, and he’s struggled with staying on a straight path before.”
Affleck has been to rehab twice before — the first time was during the summer of 2001, and the second stint was in 2017.
When his first rehab stay was first announced, his spokesperson released an official statement saying that he was a “smart man who had decided that a fuller life awaits him without alcohol,” according to BBC News. “He has chosen to seek out professional assistance, and is committed to traveling a healthier road with the support of his family, friends, and fans.”
After he completed his second round of in-house treatment, in March of 2017, the Oscar winner wrote about the ordeal on Facebook.
“I have completed treatment for alcohol addiction — something I’ve dealt with in the past and will continue to confront,” he said at the time.
“I want to live life to the fullest, and be the best father I can be. I want my kids to know there is no shame in getting help when you need it, and to be a source of strength for anyone out there who needs help but is afraid to take the first step. I’m lucky to have the love of my family and friends, including my co-parent, Jen, who has supported me and cared for our kids as I’ve done the work I set out to do. This was the first of many steps being taken towards a positive recovery.”
