They may not be together any longer, but Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner still have a ton of respect for one another.
Earlier today, the actor appeared on The Today Show where he got incredibly candid about his long battle with alcohol. The father of three sat down with host Hoda Kotb and explained that he’s come to the realization that being an alcoholic is just a part of his life that he needs to navigate through and deal with. Ben told the talk show host that it “doesn’t really bother” him to talk about his sobriety, and it doesn’t have to consume his whole identity, but it is something that he needs to work at every single day.
“I had a problem and I really want to address it and I take some pride in that. It’s about yourself, your life, your family… we encounter these kinds of hurdles and we have to deal with them.”
Affleck also pointed out that his now ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, has been instrumental in his recovery, and she’s been a great mom to their three kids — Samuel Garner, 7, Seraphina Rose Elizabeth, 10, and Violet Anne, 13. Affleck called Jennifer the “most important central person” in his life since she is the mother of his kids before going on to say how great she’s been with their three children and co-parenting.
. @BenAffleck reunited with both Lindsay Shookus and Jennifer Garner this week https://t.co/H2m9ZGLP4f pic.twitter.com/j53cLSICmu
— Yahoo Entertainment (@YahooEnt) February 28, 2019
“I’m lucky they got a great mom, and she helps out a great deal with making sure that we co-parent in as good a way as possible,” the actor shared before reiterating that he is also a very important part of his kids’ lives.
“Dads are so important to kids, and it’s our responsibility to be there for them — to be present, to be mindful, to be attentive, to be part of their lives, to be as in it as moms.”
Right now, Ben says that his kids are the central focus of his life and being a dad is what he really loves doing. It’s being a father that makes him happy, and he says that everything else kind of just follows along after that. Ben and Jen just made their divorce final this past November though they had been split for three years prior. The marriage ended shortly after Affleck checked himself into a rehab facility in Malibu where he stayed for 40 days.
Currently, Garner is dating John Miller, who isn’t in the showbiz industry but is very successful as the CEO and chairman of Cali Group. Affleck has recently rekindled his relationship with SNL producer Lindsey Shookus.