Has Ben Affleck relapsed amidst divorce rumours from Jennifer Lopez?
Fears are rising for Ben Affleck's sobriety, with sources suggesting he may be drinking again as his divorce from Jennifer Lopez approaches.
Friends of the actor, who has struggled with alcoholism and gambling addiction, expressed concerns about his mental health to DailyMail.com, describing him as experiencing "acute sadness" due to the marital breakdown.
One source said, "I hear that he is drinking. He is full of demons – a really troubled person." Another added, "I have seen him looking glassy-eyed and it is a real worry to everyone who cares about him." Affleck, 51, has a history of substance abuse, having sought treatment for alcoholism in 2001, 2017, and 2018, and experienced a setback in 2019.
Representatives for Affleck did not respond to requests for comment.
Amid the turmoil, Lopez's mother, Guadalupe Rodriguez, who initially supported the rekindling of the "Bennifer" romance in 2022, has reportedly "turned against" Affleck. Additionally, sources indicated that Lopez's manager, Benny Medina, "openly dislikes" Affleck.
Affleck and Lopez were seen at their $60 million mansion on Sunday, which is now on the market. They reportedly spent four hours at the house in a meeting. Affleck moved out to a $100,000-a-month rental in Brentwood in May, and Lopez cancelled her summer tour in an attempt to save the marriage. However, sources now say that divorce is "imminent."
A source mentioned, "I understand that he has checked out of the marriage but she has yet to accept the truth of the situation and thinks that with therapy they might make it." The source also noted the complexity of the situation due to the emotions of their five children.
Lopez has recently reconnected with actress Leah Remini, who reportedly warned her in 2022 that Affleck wasn't fully committed to the relationship. The source added, "When you lose J.Lo's family, you lose J.Lo. Her mum and her sisters are against him and Benny [Medina] is also."
Affleck's past comments on his struggles with addiction highlight his ongoing battle. In 2020, he told The New York Times, "People with compulsive behavior, and I am one, have this kind of basic discomfort all the time that they're trying to make go away. You're trying to make yourself feel better with eating or drinking or sex or gambling or shopping or whatever. But that ends up making your life worse."