Ben Affleck laughs off acting and directing Oscars snubs for Argo and admits he ‘f**ked up’ … in the same interview he seemingly blamed ex Jennifer Garner for his alcohol abuse
Ben Affleck’s debut on SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show this week made more than a few headlines – mostly for the bit where he seemingly blamed ex-wife Jennifer Garner for his addiction.
However, while chatting with the famed shock jock to promote his new movie, The Tender Bar, Ben opened up about being snubbed for both acting and directing Argo at the Oscars in 2013.
The film ultimately took home Best Picture that year, which the 47-year-old called his most ‘self-satisfying moment’, but admits he ‘f**ked up’ for failing to score solo nominations.
Looking back: Ben Affleck told Howard Stern this week that he ‘f**ked up’ for failing to score solo Oscar nominations in 2013 for Argo, despite the film’s ‘self-satisfying’ win for Best Picture
‘I’m not going to lie, that was the single most sort of self-satisfying moment,’ Ben told Howard of Argo taking home the Oscar. ‘For so long, I felt I gotta prove I belong here. I gotta show these people … I mean something, I’m worth something.’
Argo was nominated for seven Academy Awards in 2013 and took home three, including the piece de resistance – Best Picture.
Ben, however, was snubbed in both directing and acting categories. He recalled to Stern how he’d be built up by everyone in his circle who told him he was not only a lock for nominations – but a lock for winning.
His bubble was burst in a big way when nominees were announced and he was locked out of both the directing and acting categories.
‘I’m not going to lie, that was the single most sort of self-satisfying moment,’ Ben told Howard of Argo taking home the Oscar. ‘For so long, I felt I gotta prove I belong here. I gotta show these people … I mean something, I’m worth something.’
‘I did assume I was going to get nominated because everybody said it,’ he said. ‘I’m proud of the movie,’ he went on, adding with a laugh: ‘The only guy who f**ked up was the lead and the director? I can do the math on who the a**hole is here.’
‘I did assume I was going to get nominated because everybody said it,’ he said.
‘I’m proud of the movie,’ he went on, adding with a laugh: ‘The only guy who f**ked up was the lead and the director? I can do the math on who the a**hole is here.’
Ben is currently promoting his new film, The Tender Bar, which is a poignant coming of age drama.
He and girlfriend Jennifer Lopez took to the red carpet earlier this week at the premiere of the film. She was also by his side Wednesday ahead of his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
The optics of JLo standing by her man fly in the face of claims that the mogul is ‘p***ed’ at remarks he made elsewhere in his Stern interview where he said he was driven to drinking after feeling trapped in his marriage to Jennifer Garner.
His moment: Argo was nominated for seven Academy Awards in 2013 and took home three, including the piece de resistance – Best Picture – but Ben was snubbed in both directing and acting categories
The actor, who has been to rehab for his addiction to alcohol multiple times, explained that feeling ‘trapped’ contributed to his drinking in the final days of his marriage to Jennifer Garner.
‘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.’
Ben and Jen split in 2015, just a day after their 10-year anniversary, and they finalized their divorce in 2018.
Following the interview, several fans and critics lambasted Affleck on social media for the comments, which many interpreted as him blaming Garner for his relapse with drinking.
Disconnect: The actor, who has been to rehab for his addiction to alcohol multiple times, explained elsewhere in the interview that feeling ‘trapped’ contributed to his drinking in the final days of his marriage to Jennifer Garner; pictured with Garner in 2013
However, he never explicitly pointed the finger at Jennifer — whom he complimented on her parenting — during the conversation with Stern, and he appeared to suggest the two were simply over the long term.
‘I knew she was a good mom. I always hoped that she knew that I was a good dad; I knew I was,’ he told Stern. ‘I had to get sober, and I knew that too and I acknowledged that.’
It was the couple’s children — Violet, 16, Seraphina, 12, and Samuel, nine — who kept them together as long as they were.
‘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.
Ben stirred up controversy in the interview after he equated his alcoholism with his ex-wife, and a source told Page Six: ‘Jennifer is p***ed.
‘She is getting pulled into this because she is dating him. She doesn’t want to be dragged into this.
The source added: ‘She has met Jennifer Garner. She is trying to get to know her and Ben’s kids – it’s reckless and cavalier of him.’ MailOnline has contacted Jennifer’s representatives for comments.
Not pleased: Following hefty backlash about his comments, Ben’s girlfriend Jennifer Lopez is reportedly ‘p***ed’ at him for dragging her into the controversy by association (Seen Sunday at The Tender Bar premiere)
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