Back in February, Ben Affleck checked into rehab to be treated for an addiction to alcohol.
It wasn’t the first time that Affleck sought treatment for substance abuse, having undergone a 30-day drying-out program in 2001, when he was just 29.
(Interestingly, it was Affleck’s friend Charlie Sheen who encouraged him to seek help and drove him to the facility.)
In the months since Affleck’s most recent stint in rehab, a great deal has changed in the actor’s life.
His ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, filed for divorce following a lengthy separation.
Not long thereafter, Affleck started dating Lindsay Shookus, a Saturday Night Live producer whom he met while rehearsing an appearance on the show.
Affleck and Shookus have been making the most of their time together, traveling the world from, shopping, dining, and – to the chagrin of many who know Ben best – drinking.
According to Life & Style, the couple was spotted sharing a bottle of wine at LA’s famed Giorgio Baldi reastaurant.
Just a few weeks later, Ben and Lindsay were photographed leaving a liquor store in Maine with multiple bottles in tow.
At first, Jen took the stance that Ben’s drinking is Lindsay’s problem now.
“She has done everything she possibly can over the years to help him get sober and battle his demons,” a source tells L&S.
“Things are much calmer, and Jen is finally feeling peace in her life for the first time in years,” the insider adds.
“Of course, she cares about Ben, but Jen’s feeling is that he is no longer her problem.
Now, however, Garner is reportedly growing increasingly worried about Ben’s imbibing and the ways it might affect his relationship with his children.
“Jen thinks it’s an absolute disaster,” the source reveals.
“She knows Ben is his own worst enemy. He can’t thrive without drama and angst.”
There are no recent reports of Ben drinking to the point of intoxication, but it’s not hard to see why those closest to the Oscar winner would be concerned by news that the actor is tippling again less than six months after leaving treatment.
Hopefully, Ben knows himself well enough to recognize that he needs help if and when the time comes.
