It’s easy to see Jennifer Garner as a female action hero after the past couple of weeks. She staged an intervention to get husband Ben Affleck back into rehab for his third stint to battle alcoholism. The following week the stars reached a divorce settlement and decided to delay filing it in court until Affleck finishes his 30-day inpatient treatment. Six days after driving Affleck to rehab at a Malibu treatment center, Garner was on the red carpet in Los Angeles to celebrate the launch of her new movie.
Garner’s Peppermint character is a fierce vigilante out to avenge the murders of her husband and daughter. The actress certainly looked the part of crusader in mini black dress complete with glamorous cape. The after-party saw her smiling and posing for photos with co-workers and performing a choreographed dance with the young actress who plays her daughter in the movie.
A lesser woman would have collapsed into a hot bath mid-way through the fortnight and stayed there. Garner would have none of that.
Throughout these hectic days, the actress is said to remain “supportive, but firm” with Affleck for the sake of their three children. “She wants him to be clean and healthy and will help him get there if he’s committed,” according to one source. “She is glad he is in a safe place and getting the help he needs.”
“Jen is the only one Ben listens to,” according to another source. “She has been down this road with him for years and is the only one that can really get through.”
News reports have said Affleck “seems serious about living in for at least 30 days.” Two weeks into his current stint for treatment, he has been spotted out and about. An insider said he goes home to work out with his trainers. Since before Labor Day, “he’s been driven from the clinic every day from rehab to the house to work out,” the insider said. “For a few hours a day. He’s always accompanied by his coach and therapist.”
Sources say Affleck is “doing great” after several months of struggle despite going to meetings and working with a sober coach for much of the last year. They said he had been drinking alone for days and barely eating. When Garner showed up at his Pacific Palisades home with an addiction counselor, he was cooperative and wanted to get help.
“He is continually grateful for the outpouring of support he’s received,” said an insider. “Between colleagues and friends, he’s gotten a lot of support.”
The estranged couple called it quits on their 10-year marriage in June 2015 and filed for divorce in April 2017. “The divorce is wrapped up but has not been signed off on. They are waiting for Ben to get out to do that,” said an insider. “They both want to move on and end the financial negotiations and the custody discussions.”
