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There are so many follow up stories in the wake of Ben Affleck’s surprise announcement that he’s completed treatment for alcohol addiction. There are of course new insider quotes about his decision to enter treatment, which is typical of the Garner-Affleck PR team, but it’s still rather measured for them. Both ET and E! are running retrospective stories about how Garner has supported Affleck and been there for him over the years, which is kind of a no-brainer. They’re not necessarily publicist-sanctioned.
There are also new stories about Affleck’s future in Batman, and that seems to still be in the works despite older rumors that Affleck is no longer interested in the role. Production has been delayed but he’s still moving forward as Batman is is reportedly still co-writing the script. Reports claim that the entire script is being rewritten at this point, which explains his conflicting statements about it. We’ve already heard that he will no longer direct. Below I’m just excerpting the quotes about why he went to rehab and how he’s doing now. Of course Ben has already been papped out with his kids.
“[Ben] has been struggling and he decided that he needed to get back to being healthy again. It was Ben?s choice to receive treatment,? says a source. ?She is happy that he is working on himself.?
?Earlier last year, Ben was doing great. He was making an effort to stay healthy,? says a source. ?But then something happened around the holidays that made him slip.?
Yet throughout Affleck?s ups and downs, ?Jen was supportive and understanding,? says the source. – People
“He didn’t want to cycle through anything he had dealt with in the past,” a source shared with E! News exclusively. “He’s moving in a healthy, balanced direction.”
He didn’t want to hide,” our source explained. “He will continue to work on it. This was a step, but it’s a progressive process. He’s in a good place.”
“He learned a lot while he was there,” our insider shared. “Everyone has a story and was open about it. That was meaningful to him.” – From E!
?He has a great support system around him,? adds the friend. ?Really nice to see his friends and family gather for him ? the industry too. This was his decision to be proactive to live a healthy life. He?s been very moved by the outpouring of support.?
Now that he has returned from treatment, Affleck?s friend says, ?It is business as usual in the house. He picked the kids up from school yesterday, dropped them off today. As always the kids come first. They are fiercely protective of them.?
A separate source also tells PEOPLE that ?Ben and Jen took the kids to school together? this morning, and adds that Affleck is continuing to live at the family home, where he?s lived through most of their separation.
?With Ben back in L.A., things are back to normal,? notes the source. ?They are focusing on the kids. Ben missed them and he?s happy to be back with his kids.? – From People
[From People and E!]
As I said yesterday I’m glad he’s getting treatment, no matter why he sought it, and I’m glad that he’s been so open about it. This can only help him and his family if he’s serious about it. If he decides to continue his recovery, it can also help others if he is open about it to the press. Imagine if say, Johnny Depp, sought rehab and came out the other side clean and talking about it. We could see that from Ben, and I’m reminded of Colin Farrell’s rehab stories, and how much gratitude he has for it still. Ben didn’t seem that far gone, although he had some bizarre interviews. It must have been so much worse behind the scenes. Remember how Garner said he “cast quite a shadow”? There’s a lot of potential meaning to those words.
photos credit: FameFlynet
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