Ben Affleck clarifies comments about marriage to ex-wife Jennifer Garner

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Actor Ben Affleck is speaking out after comments he made about former wife Jennifer Garner drew backlash earlier this week.

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According to People magazine, the controversy began after the “Justice League” star opened up to radio host Howard Stern on Monday, saying he turned to alcohol several times during his marriage to Garner. The couple, who tied the knot in 2005, announced their separation in 2015 and divorced three years later.

>> PHOTOS: Ben Affleck through the years

“It’s part of why I started drinking ... because I was trapped,” he said during Monday’s broadcast of “The Howard Stern Show.” “I was like, ‘I can’t leave because of my kids, but I’m not happy. What do I do?’ What I did was drink a bottle of scotch and fall asleep on the couch, which turned out not to be the solution.”

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Affleck, 49, added that he’d “probably still be drinking” had he not split up with Garner, with whom he shares three children, People reported.

Following the interview, many social media users and tabloids blasted “The Tender Bar” actor for appearing to pin the blame on Garner, according to CNN. But on Wednesday, Affleck told late-night host Jimmy Kimmel that his previous remarks had been taken out of context, People reported.

“I had gone on and said how much we respect each other and cared about each other and cared about our kids and put them first and went through our stuff,” Affleck said on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” “And they said that I blamed my ex-wife for my alcoholism and that I was trapped ... and just made me out to be the worst, most insensitive, stupid, awful guy.”

Affleck added of the headlines: “If it’s about my kids, I gotta just draw a line. That’s not true. I don’t believe that. It’s the exact opposite of who I am, what I believe, and I would never want my kids to think I would ever say a bad word about their mom.”