Ben Affleck opened up about his failed relationships in the past in a resurfaced interview from 1999. An excerpt from the December 1999 issue of Playboy has gone viral where the Batman star admitted to his coping tendencies that made him incompatible with his former girlfriends – the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, director Cheyenne Rothman, ex-wife Jennifer Garner, and Jennifer Lopez. The interviewer asked whether his exes were ‘generally p-ssed off’ at him, warranting an honest answer from the Hollywood star, per the Daily Mail.
Two weeks after Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from Ben Affleck, an old interview from Playboy Magazine resurfaced, discussing why his exes were usually “pissed off” at him. pic.twitter.com/eJEDkeUdAf— E! Australia & NZ (@EOnlineAU) September 7, 2024
Affleck candidly agreed with the statement before explaining that their anger was ‘justifiably so.’ “If I were the next guy to go out with them I’m sure I would be nodding in agreement about what an a**hole their ex-boyfriend was,” he said. However, the actor clarified that he was far from a womanizer and had no history of physical or psychological abuse. “It’s just that these relationships never end well,” Affleck shared, adding that he often ended up finding a way out of the relationship every time.
Reflecting on his behavioral patterns that have cremated more than one of his romances, Affleck explained that he usually failed to communicate his feelings to his partner and let them build up until his breaking point. “Instead of saying, ‘Look, don’t do that, please don’t act this way,’ I go along with it until I just don’t want to be in the relationship at all,” the Gone Girl star expressed. He further revealed his passive-aggressive ways where he tried to get rid of things by creating scenarios or simply avoiding calls.
In a candid new interview with @nytimes, Ben Affleck says his divorce from Jennifer Garner is the ‘biggest regret’ of his life. pic.twitter.com/Vh6pjgIGvz— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) February 19, 2020
While Affleck did not blame his former flames, he did say his ‘passive-aggressive rage’ left him with little to no sympathy for his exes. He recalled his go-to reaction, “Well of course I didn’t call you. If you weren’t such a nagging, shrewish harpy I’d call you.” Nevertheless, Affleck was hopeful of a better and healthier future and said he was ‘growing out’ of his old habits.
Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas have called it quits after nearly a year together, @People reports. 💔 pic.twitter.com/N9k1emR75L— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) January 18, 2021
The interview excerpt gained traction on Reddit with several netizens chiming on his revelations. “Unfortunately, I have bad news for 1999 Ben Affleck,” one user scorned hinting at his divorce. Another user joked, “Narrator: He never grew out of it.” Many other social media users were also doubtful if Affleck had altered his ways, considering his recent divorce from Lopez.
Affleck’s longtime romance with JLo dates back to the early 2000s with the duo even getting engaged in 2002. Unfortunately, they split up shortly after, then rekindled their love affair decades later, after the pandemic in 2021. Their ill-fated romance finally seemed to flourish before things spiraled once again. After only two years of marriage, the pop star officially filed for divorce on August 20, 2024.