Why Ben Affleck Regrets His Divorce From Jennifer Garner

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner have remained friendly despite their split, with Affleck describing the end of their 10-year marriage as "the biggest regret my life." In an interview with The New York Times, the A-list actor reports his drinking had spiraled out of control and he is remorseful about the impact on his family.

"Shame is really toxic," Affleck told The New York Times. "There is no positive byproduct of shame. It's just stewing in a toxic, hideous feeling of low self-worth and self-loathing." The pair, who have three children together, announced their divorce in 2015 after Affleck allegedly had an affair with the children's nanny.

"I didn't want to get divorced, I didn't want to be a divorced person, I really didn't want to be a split family with my children," Affleck said in an interview with Good Morning America (via People). "It upset me because it meant I wasn't who I thought I was and that was so painful and so disappointing. In myself."

Ben Affleck reported that, after many years of a relatively ordinary relationship with alcohol, he found his drinking spiraling out of control starting in roughly 2015. He attributes it, at least in part, to his unhappiness within his marriage, noting, "My drinking, of course, created more marital problems," according to The New York Times. So, while he recognizes that his relationship with America's sweetheart Jennifer Garner was untenable, he has been outspoken about his wish to have better navigated the relationship's end.

Despite the messiness of the couple's split — Affleck famously commemorated it with an enormous back tattoo of a phoenix rising from the ashes — Garner has been notably supportive of the "Good Will Hunting" star. In 2018, Garner was photographed driving Affleck to his third stint in rehab after reportedly staging an intervention.

"She doesn't want her kids to grow up without a dad," a source told the Daily Mail. For his part, Affleck recognizes Garner's dedication to preserving normality for their kids — however possible. "When you have children with somebody you're connected to them forever," he told People. "And I'm very lucky she is the mother of my children. I'm very grateful and respectful of her."