Matt Damon Keeping BFF Ben Affleck 'Out Of Trouble' Amid Alleged Impending JLo Divorce
Matt Damon stays by Ben Affleck's side amid the latter's rumored marital strife with Jennifer Lopez, a source has claimed.
Damon and Affleck have been good friends even before they made it big in Hollywood. The childhood friends have remained the best buddies despite their success in the industry and Damon is making sure that his pal will be "out of trouble" despite his personal issues, according to an insider.
"Matt's No. 1 priority right now is keeping Ben out of trouble," an unnamed source told In Touch. "The last thing anyone wants is for Ben to turn to alcohol again. Matt has straight out told him that relapse is not an option."
Enstarz could not independently verify the claim.
Affleck has been open about his alcohol addiction problems. His ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, even drove him to rehab in 2018.
"Matt's No. 1 priority right now is keeping Ben out of trouble," the tipster continued. "The last thing anyone wants is for Ben to turn to alcohol again. Matt has straight out told him that relapse is not an option."
Another tipster claimed to the Daily Mail that the "Martian" star helped Affleck "get it together" when the "Gone Girl" actor and "Let's Get Loud" singer split in 2004. However, when Affleck and Lopez, dubbed "Bennifer," reconciled in 2021, Damon allegedly "felt" history would repeat itself. But this time, he was determined to help Affleck avoid setbacks in his sobriety journey.
"Matt is the only real guy friend Ben has. He would not let him get back on the bottle and has been on him to make sure of this," the source added.
In December 2021, Affleck sat down for an interview with Howard Stern, and he admitted that he felt "trapped" in his marriage with Garner and started drinking.
"We had a marriage that didn't work," Affleck told Stern. "This happens. It was somebody I love and respect but to whom I shouldn't be married any longer ... what I did was [I] drank a bottle of scotch and fell asleep on the couch, which turned out not to be the solution."
Affleck's statement raised eyebrows, with many slamming him for seemingly blaming his ex-wife and marriage for his alcohol problem. He later clarified in an interview on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" that his remarks were taken out of context for "clickbait" headlines.
"We had a marriage that didn't work," Affleck told Stern. "This happens. It was somebody I love and respect but to whom I shouldn't be married any longer ... what I did was [I] drank a bottle of scotch and fell asleep on the couch, which turned out not to be the solution."
He added, "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. And they said that I had blamed my ex-wife for my alcoholism and that I was trapped."
Lopez and Affleck have been plagued with divorce rumors for months. They have been living separately and already put their $60 million marital home for sale. Another tipster claimed that Lopez wants all the money she "invested" in their marriage because it was Affleck who allegedly "abandoned her."
