(CNN) Ben Affleck clears up a few things.
In an interview with published Thursday, he addressed controversy that followed comments he made in 2021 when speaking with Howard Stern about his previous marriage to actress Jennifer Garner.
“I had a really painful experience doing an interview where I was really vulnerable, and the whole pickup was something that not only wasn’t right, it was actually the opposite of what I meant,” Affleck said THR.
The actor-director faced backlash after saying he felt “trapped” in the dynamic with Garner.
“It’s one of the reasons I started drinking,” Affleck told Stern. “Because I was trapped.”
Affleck told THR he’s not trying to blame Garner for his drinking.
“To be clear, my behavior is entirely my responsibility,” he said.
“The point I wanted to make was a sad one. Everyone who’s been through a divorce makes this calculus: How much are we trying? we loved each other We care about each other. We have respect for each other,” Affleck said in the new interview. “I was trying to say, ‘Hey, look, I’ve been drinking too much, and the less happy you get, whether it’s your job or your marriage, the harder your life becomes when you do things when you fill a hole, that’s not healthy, you’ll start doing more of those things. ‘”
The couple eventually split in 2015.
Affleck said he believed his quotes were “mischaracterized to make it clickbait,” and “it didn’t matter how many times I said, ‘I don’t feel that way. I’m telling you, I don’t blame my ex-wife for my alcoholism.'”
Affleck and Jennifer Lopez returned nearly 20 years after their initial engagement and marriage in July 2022.
“[Jennifer Lopez] tell me today: ‘Relax, be yourself. Have fun. You’re actually a fun guy who’s real and real and you just seem so serious,” Affleck told THR. “Do I seem serious? But like many things, she’s really right. And she loves me. She takes care of me. She’s trying to help me.”
He also tried to clear up the speculation that the “Ben Affleck had a bad time at the Grammys” meme had sparked after the pair apparently had differing reactions during the event.
Affleck said he’s actually having a good time, but when he saw Grammy host Trevor Noah approach her, he thought, “Oh god.”
“They framed us in that shot, but I didn’t know they were rolling. I leaned into them and thought, ‘Once they start rolling, I’m going to slide off you and have you sit next to you Trevor,'” Affleck explained. “She says, ‘You better not go.’ It’s a husband-and-wife thing I mean, part of it’s like, “All right, who is this number?” I’m not keeping up. My wife, of course. And yes, it’s your wife’s work event.