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Ben Affleck Says He'd 'Probably Still Be Drinking' If He Stayed Married to Jennifer Garner

Ben Affleck Says He'd 'Probably Still Be Drinking' If He Stayed Married to Jennifer Garner

Ben Affleck is speaking candidly about his relationship with alcohol.

During an appearance on the Howard Stern Show on Monday, Affleck, 49, got candid about his struggles with drinking while married to Jennifer Garner, with whom he shares three children: Violet, 16, Seraphina, 12, and Samuel, 9.

"I'd probably still be drinking. It's part of why I started drinking … because I was trapped," the Argo director admitted to Howard Stern of feeling unhappy in his marriage to Garner, 49. "I was like 'I can't leave 'cause 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."

RELATED: Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck Finalize Their Divorce — Inside Their Massive Fortunes

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner

Angela Weiss/FilmMagic Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner in 2014

Affleck has gone to rehab multiple times for alcohol addiction over the years, including in 2001, 2017 – which he revealed in a post on Facebook – and 2018, when he and Garner finalized their divorce.

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Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck

The Gone Girl star, who wed Garner in 2005 and later separated in 2015, also told the longtime radio show host that he and the 13 Going on 30 star did everything they could to keep their marriage together, but like many Hollywood relationships, it just didn't work out.

RELATED VIDEO: Jennifer Garner Joins Ex Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez While Trick-or-Treating with Kids in Malibu

"The truth was, we took our time, we made the decision … We grew apart," Affleck explained.

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"We had a marriage that didn't work, this happens, with somebody that I love and respect, but to whom I shouldn't be married any longer. Ultimately, we tried. We tried, we tried because we had kids. Both of us felt like we don't want this to be the model that our kids see of marriage."

RELATED: Ben Affleck on Why He Drank: 'It Was Something I Was Doing to Avoid Painful Feelings'

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ben-affleck-jennifer-garner-1.jpg

Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez

While Affleck and Garner had their fair share of ups and downs over the course of their relationship, the former spouses are on good terms now.

Garner even joined Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, who rekindled their romance earlier this year after calling off their engagement in 2004, for some trick-or-treating fun with their kids on Halloween.

"Everyone gets along and the focus is always on the kids. Jennifer, Ben and Jen Garner all wanted the kids to have an amazing Halloween," a source previously told PEOPLE at the time. "The kids are friends and wanted to go trick-or-treating together. It made sense that they all went together."

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.