In Touch reported earlier this week that Ben Affleck was being urged to go to rehab for the third time, but that he was putting it off and wanted to do it on his own terms. About a day after InTouch put that out, US reported that Affleck is doing outpatient treatment for alcoholism. Doesn’t this pretty much confirm In Touch’s report that Affleck is doing it his own way? Like if he was serious about quitting for good he would go away for 30 days right? I mean I understand not wanting to leave your family and day to day activities, I doubt I could have done 30 days away from home, but it also indicates that he’s probably not committed to it and this is someone else’s idea. (The WB publicity team.) Also, US has new photos of Affleck which are exclusive to the X17 agency (meaning we don’t have those pics) and he’s wearing sweatpants, a sweatshirt and just looks like he’s gained more. He looks kind of beat down like he knows he’s schlubby but is making the best of it. Here’s US’s report, which uses a lot of quotes from a few months ago so I’ll just excerpt the new stuff. You can go there to read more:
Ben Affleck is still seeking treatment for alcohol addiction seven months after his rehab stint, Us Weekly exclusively confirms. The 45-year-old actor was spotted arriving at an outpatient treatment center in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 4.
Affleck was dressed casually in a sweatshirt and gray sweatpants as he entered the building. “Ben looked so happy,” an onlooker exclusively tells Us. “He was in such a good mood and looked refreshed.
Well good for him and I hope he is able to quit drinking and stay sober. I also would like him to be single for a while. That’s not necessarily a dig at Lindsay but would it kill him not to have a girlfriend or a significant other as he works out his sh-t? He could focus on his career, his kids, his sobriety, his fitness, (I mean he used to be into that and it helps a lot with moods) and just figuring out how to live without alcohol. I have the feeling he hasn’t reached his own rock bottom, whatever it would take for him to realize that he needs to quit entirely and that drinking is only making things worse.
Header photo is from last month. Photo of Ben with the box is from August. Also, Lindsay Shookus got papped alone yesterday, 10/5. Credit: Backgrid, Pacific Coast News and WENN
I work in addition services and outpatient treatment can work… However for someone with a pretty solid alcohol problem it likely won’t be enough. Usually people try outpatient when they’re not really wanting to commit to the idea of sobriety but they want to appease someone and make it look like they’re working towards being abstinent. (not always, sometimes it really does work well)
This. He’s just doing it to make sure he can still see his kids. He clearly has addiction issues.
Yep. Also the problem here is his environment is not conducive to sobriety. It would be different if he was at home with his kids trying this. But he’s going to hollywood parties and going to liquor stores with the gf.
So no cookies for Ben
omg didnt someone in comments in a post about ben suggested he would be in some kind of rehab since we havent seen him out in a little while. omg they were right! kudos to whoever it was
She looks like a major lush and bad influence.
Exactly what I was going to say!
Well, bless his heart at least he keeps trying – reportedly.
It’s a battle an alcoholic fights every day of his life and many just give up and embrace it.
I’ll go out on a limb and state that I don’t think rehab works.
If it did, there wouldn’t be so many who go over and over and over (L. Lohan, Sheen, Ben….) but it beats doing nothing.
I don’t think Ben WILL hit rock bottom.
He already lost his wife and kids to some extent and he has money and he’s not young anymore.
He can retire at any time and still live a wealthy life.
This might have been his goal.
I think he’s happy with the way things are.
He has a girlfriend, an ex-wife who takes care of his kids, money, and so on and he lives his life lit most of the time.
To be fair I think rehab can work, if the person is seeking help for themselves and not because of external pressures. In Affleck’s case I think he is only going along with it to keep the peace with studio bosses.
Rehab works, if you want it. If you don’t actually WANT to get clean, and are just going to avoid legal issues, or are just trying to appease someone, of course it’s not going to work!
It comes down to the individual and how much work they’re willing to put in.
I think he’s far too ambitious to just retire for good. He goes through these low periods until he misses the acclaim and being on top in the industry and then he works his way back up.
I think his relationship with Lindsay will be a casualty of his comeback once he decides he’s tired of this lifestyle.
Rehab works, it’s very dangerous to say it doesn’t. You need to put in the work.
Rehab works and has worked for a lot of people but the person has to want it and has to be willing to do whatever it takes to get clean. And that can mean completely changing your lifestyle amd removing certain influences and peope from your life. Ben clearly hasn’t been willing to do thag and that’s why he keeps failing at it.
I don’t think it’s fair to say that someone needs to go away for inpatient treatment to get sober. I was drinking 26oz of vodka a day and I got sober by going to meetings and continuing on with life. I was committed to and ready for my sobriety and that has worked for me for almost 4 years. Some people go away and that works for them. I know people who failed with inpatient treatment because readjusting afterward was the hardest part. Outpatient worked better for them. It’s not up to anyone else to say what will and won’t work when it comes to someone else’s sobriety. Every problem is as unique as the person in many ways.
That’s fair enough to say I appreciate that. Glad you got sober.
Ben is not everyone, though, he’s a wealthy, successful, famous actor. We can’t compare his life to yours, or mine, or anyone we’ve met in recovery. He of all people can afford the time away from his life to go inpatient. He comes from a position of needing to be humbled even more than your average alcoholic – he should be at a rehab where he’s cleaning his own living space and toilet, in my opinion! I quit drinking 7.5 years ago and went from inpatient, to halfway living, then a sober house, and then finally my own place so it wasn’t a major adjustment back to life. You have to get over your ego to really make it stick, and I don’t see that happening for Ben at a cushy outpatient rehab. You really do have to WANT it to get clean, and he won’t even make a commitment to inpatient. I don’t see a man who wants to make a change, I see a man who is going along with the motions of quitting to get his ex-wife and the movie studio off his back for a while.
I agree, in-patient is such a different environment from the “real world” that it can be quite difficult for the healthier behaviors to translate from one to the other.
Congratulations on your sobriety!
In that last photo, she looks like she has mummy feet. That’s all I got.
Yeah, I don’t get those shoes either.
It’s actually just a white canvas sneaker. It’s the angle of the photo that makes it look like a weird wrap shoe. If you blow up the picture, you can see that you’re actually looking at the bottom of the shoe as she’s walking.
Outpatient? lol. He’s not even pretending to try this time…
Well, I hope for his children’s sake as well as his own he get’s it together, there’s only so much ones liver can take!
I feel bad for Batfleck sometimes. I mean, he has a giant colorful bird on his back.
I don’t hate the guy. He’s an alcoholic. And unfortunately I think we’re going to see a tragic headline for him one day.
I agree, sadly. If you google Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s last photos before he died, he looked just like Ben. I don’t know what he’s into, but if he doesn’t get help it’s going to kill him.
I find it sad.
What kind of person parties with an alcoholic that is off the wagon? Someone that doesn’t really care about you. Nobody will ever care about his well being like Jen did. He probably got with Jennwhrn he was sober and needing someone like her in his life.
His girlfriend/Ex-girlfriends is not responsible or to blame for Ben drinking. Ben was drinking and gambling when he was Jen G, she spent their marriage enabling, covering for him and bring more children into the mix. So if your going to blame the girlfriend then blame Jen as well.
Ben and only Ben is responsible for his behavior and sobriety.
She’s not responsible for his behavior, but I’ll be honest – having grown up in a family with addicts, it IS enabling to accompany or take them to bars or other events that could trigger a relapse. When you care about an alcoholic, you learn to work around those problems for their sake.
Good luck, dude. I mean that honestly. He’s a jackass, but addiction is a bear.
Sorry, but that woman gives me junkie vibes. I think Ben is into way worse than alcohol (although alcohol on its own can do horrible things). I hope he gets the help he needs and dumps her, fast.
Meh, I don’t think this kind of thing should be the focus of public speculation. It should stay between the patient and doctor/therapist.
Ben probably set up this pap shot to do damage control because of all those sloppy photos looking out of it and the photos buying alcohol, to put back out there he is working on his sobriety.
Forgive my cynicism but the Justice League press tour is gearing up. I’m not so sure this was his call. I guess we will see.
He’s only doing outpatient because of that last photo of him coming out of the liquor store with a bag. It was like story upon story of him definitely not sober and his reps probably saying it’s hurting his career.
I don’t care why he’s going as long as he still going. The only thing worse than going for “appearance” or “the wrong reasons” or “to make someone else happy” is not going at all. At least he still putting himself in a position that perhaps one comment one day will make him look up from his cell phone and take note. I’m not ready to lose hope yet.
Unfortunately, Ben has A LOT of commitments to JL right now. It is only like 5 weeks away!
Maybe once all the promoting is over, he will be able to commit to his sobriety & own health. Lindsay Shookus, or any other relationship is not doing him any favors right now! He needs to just focus on HIMSELF !
His father had to leave and from what I read, was afraid to leave the rehab center in fear of relapsing. If Ben gets serious about his sobriety, he may need to do the same!
Isn’t Gal Galdot hosting SNL Sat.?
Seems like it would have been good promoting for JL to have both Batman & Wonder Woman there! In better times IMO, I think he would be there!
no if the plan is to announce he’s out of the franchise right after JL opens. The less he promotes the better.
…Im so sorry but Im the kind of person putting pressure on Ben…cant wait for JL in Nov …so looking forward to seeing photos of all the premiers…but after seeing the photos of flabby Keanu I do realise the pressure even male stars are under…sorry again…
Katiebo & Olive – congrats on your sobriety. That is wonderful.
Rehab/quitting doesn’t always work the first time. I come from a very long line of alcoholic on both sides of of my family. Addiction’s biological, genetic, physical, & psychological. Additionally Ben is addicted to 2 things – alcohol & gambling. I’m not an expert but I think it’s much more complex.
Despite my comments above I do feel that people with addictions are responsible for their actions. Ben & responsibility almost seems to be an oxymoron.
Ben seems to forever be in rehab lite. Hasn’t he done outpatient before? He went to the luxury Promises. I agree with another poster that he needs to be scrubbing toilets & washing floors.
Don’t hate him. Hope he gets his sh*t together. He doesn’t get a pass from me on the child card. He’s only been out carousing with his girlfriend for quite a while. How is that putting your kids first? He needs to get serious; stop screwing around.
Yeah, that’s gonna work. All the luxuries and none of the stark pain. Very comfy.
They actually tell people in recovery NOT to be in relationships for awhile. I think part of the issue with Ben is that his ego doesn’t allow him to see that he can’t do rehab or drink on “his terms”. That’s why it’s an addiction. An addict cannot regulate their own consumption or even their own recovery (at least in the beginning). His unwillingness to surrender to the process of recovery is why he has failed at it so many times I think.
I’m afraid that is much more the just alcohol. Alcohol is just the tip of the iceberg and the one addiction that is legal, and he can publicly talk about, so he can build empathy and hide the rest behind it, but I’m afraid there’s much more stuff, more serious and more difficult to get rid of.
He needs long term inpatient care.
Pics today of Affleck at the SNL after party with his supposed sober coach and Lindsey.
What a mess.
ugh..