Can we analyze Ben Affleck?

[Anonymous]

Why are we looking just at JLo?

Wasn’t Ben an absent dad when he was drinking?

Has a huge tattoo on his back?

Alcoholic and addicted to gambling?

Cheated on his first wife?

Also rumors he and JLo would hook up in remote private hotels?

There’s something wrong with him if he can’t maintain a relationship.

[Anonymous]

I always wondered if he regrets how he screwed up his relationship with Jennifer Garner.

[Anonymous]

I loved him in Good Will Hunting

[Anonymous]

There is nothing there to analyze. Ben is exactly what he appears to be - an ex alcoholic and gambler that will always struggle. Everyone wants to analyze JLo because they can’t figure out why she keeps picking losers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing there to analyze. Ben is exactly what he appears to be - an ex alcoholic and gambler that will always struggle. Everyone wants to analyze JLo because they can’t figure out why she keeps picking losers.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing there to analyze. Ben is exactly what he appears to be - an ex alcoholic and gambler that will always struggle. Everyone wants to analyze JLo because they can’t figure out why she keeps picking losers.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are we looking just at JLo?

Wasn’t Ben an absent dad when he was drinking?

Has a huge tattoo on his back?

Alcoholic and addicted to gambling?

Cheated on his first wife?

Also rumors he and JLo would hook up in remote private hotels?

There’s something wrong with him if he can’t maintain a relationship.

Regarding your last statement...we all agree there's something wrong with him. It's more puzzling that now we're understanding that there's something wrong with her, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing there to analyze. Ben is exactly what he appears to be - an ex alcoholic and gambler that will always struggle. Everyone wants to analyze JLo because they can’t figure out why she keeps picking losers.

Eh, I kind of see OP's point. They actually have a similar duality-- both incredibly successful and clearly have a lot of self discipline in various ways to achieve that success. But then make incredibly self destructive choices. Ben with substance abuse and cheating/carousing (all the bad behavior around strippers and waitresses), JLo by intensely pursuing relationships with men who have a history of bad behaviors.

Likely for both it is linked to a combination of poor role models and perhaps a level of narcissism (common in performers and very successful people) that gets in the way of learning from their mistakes. They are both early 50s. It is common for many people to reassess at middle age and try to learn from prior failures. They both seem to be falling back into old, unproductive patterns instead.

The one thing I will say is that we have no evidence Ben's drinking and associated behavior is out of control again, as it was during his split from JG and after. Maybe that's good PR, or maybe he is actually getting that aspect of his life together. I hope it's the latter, for his and his kids' sake.

Whereas we have a lot of obvious evidence that JLo is making the exact same mistakes she's made n previous relationships again-- rushing in too quickly, being too public and over the top, jerking her kids around, being messy with the breakup.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing there to analyze. Ben is exactly what he appears to be - an ex alcoholic and gambler that will always struggle. Everyone wants to analyze JLo because they can’t figure out why she keeps picking losers.

+1

Yep

[Anonymous]

There's plenty of analysis of him in the other thread.

[Anonymous]

Classic untreated bipolar behavior. It's why rehab doesn't stick.

[Anonymous]

Ben seems more depressed than anything these days. I haven't seen evidence of substance abuse in years. No idea about gambling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing there to analyze. Ben is exactly what he appears to be - an ex alcoholic and gambler that will always struggle. Everyone wants to analyze JLo because they can’t figure out why she keeps picking losers.

Eh, I kind of see OP's point. They actually have a similar duality-- both incredibly successful and clearly have a lot of self discipline in various ways to achieve that success. But then make incredibly self destructive choices. Ben with substance abuse and cheating/carousing (all the bad behavior around strippers and waitresses), JLo by intensely pursuing relationships with men who have a history of bad behaviors.

Likely for both it is linked to a combination of poor role models and perhaps a level of narcissism (common in performers and very successful people) that gets in the way of learning from their mistakes. They are both early 50s. It is common for many people to reassess at middle age and try to learn from prior failures. They both seem to be falling back into old, unproductive patterns instead.

The one thing I will say is that we have no evidence Ben's drinking and associated behavior is out of control again, as it was during his split from JG and after. Maybe that's good PR, or maybe he is actually getting that aspect of his life together. I hope it's the latter, for his and his kids' sake.

Whereas we have a lot of obvious evidence that JLo is making the exact same mistakes she's made n previous relationships again-- rushing in too quickly, being too public and over the top, jerking her kids around, being messy with the breakup.

If Ben were drinking again, the entire world would know. There's no hiding relapses in your fifties. Hopefully he's not gambling either. It takes a while for an addict's brain to restore itself and gambling is not going to help with that. The fact that he and Jennifer Garner are still on good terms suggests he's a decent guy behind the mess. He clearly has a lot of talent. I saw The Accountant recently. He plays neurodivergent really well.

[Anonymous]

He seems like a grump.

[Anonymous]

Did anyone see that video a month or so ago when he was casually chatting with Jennifer Garner? He seemed very at ease, smiling, very open body language. Made me feel sad for him.