Boy in This Photo Had Alcoholic Dad Yet Became a Famous Actor — He Married Beloved Woman Nearly 20 Years after Split

• A Hollywood A-lister grew up with divorced parents.
• He has a good relationship with his mother and is cordial with his father.
• The star’s father was an alcoholic, which later affected him in life.

A young boy’s family fell apart when he was a teenager. Growing up, he became close with his mother and drifted apart from his father, whom he still has contact with.

A former married couple welcomed a son on August 15, 1972. They raised him in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he later met a friend he has been close to ever since.

The young boy’s parents divorced in 1984 after being together for the first eleven years of his life. After the boy grew up to be a star, he was publicly seen with his mom.

The mother and son duo have a good relationship. He has even helped his beloved parent when facing health issues and publicly thanked her for her role in his life.

The mom was a teacher who taught in public school for several years. She later enrolled at Harvard University for a master’s degree and fought for the civil rights movement.

As for the son’s relationship with his father, the pair reportedly have a cordial relationship. The child once revealed that he and his dad communicate via “email” often and that he sometimes drives out to visit his grandkids.

According to the son, the parent cannot fly because he has “positional vertigo,” so he becomes dizzy if he does board an airplane. So, as a resort, he drives down to California to see his son’s family a few times a year.

Unlike his former wife, the father did not pursue higher education and worked more in blue-collar jobs. His son revealed he was an auto mechanic, a bartender, and a janitor at Harvard.

The child’s upbringing had its challenges apart from his parents’ divorce. The father battled alcoholism but has since been sober, which left a lasting impact on the son throughout his life. He explained:

“His life sort of hit the skids when I was in my teens. It was difficult. When one’s parent is an alcoholic, it’s hard.”

The young boy who grew up with divorced parents is Ben Affleck. He was born to Chris Ann Boldt and Thomas Affleck. The actor is now a parent himself with three kids.

Like his parents, Affleck has also gone through a divorce. He was once married to actress Jennifer Garner from 2005 to 2018. They welcomed daughters Violet, Seraphina, and son Samuel.

Because he and Garner are no longer a couple, Affleck got candid about the dynamics involving the kids and his acting career in a March 2023 interview. He shared that he puts the children first when making project decisions.

The California native wants to spend more time with his kids, so he created his production company, Artists Equity, which allows him to be in Los Angeles often.

The father of three explained that because he is a divorced man and shares custody with the kids’ mom, he did not want to find himself in three different places and not see his offspring anymore, adding:

“It just doesn’t work. These years are too important. If I miss them, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”

Affleck’s second wife, Jennifer Lopez, paid tribute to him on Father’s Day in June 2023. The singer and actress posted a shirtless photo of her husband on Instagram alongside a heartfelt homage.

“Daddy Appreciation Post. Happy Father’s Day, Papa,” she captioned her post. Lopez shared photos and videos of her and Affleck, including one when she was on “The View” in May 2023.

During her appearance on the chat show, the multi-talented Hollywood star gushed about how Affleck is an “amazing dad,” adding that it makes her emotional:

“He is honestly the best dad I have ever seen. He is so involved. He teaches me about how to interact with the kids sometimes.”

Lopez said her love, whom she wed in July 2022 after ending their initial engagement almost 20 years ago, is a present parent who is well-aware, smart, and knowledgeable about children.

The Father’s Day tribute ended with a throwback video of the famous couple from when they first dated in the early 2000s. They wore matching white outfits and kissed.

Meanwhile, Affleck’s former wife, Garner, also sang his praises as a father to their children. The mother of three expressed her appreciation for how the proud dad showers their kids with abundant love.

Affleck is also a stepfather to Lopez’s twins, Max and Emme, whom she welcomed with her former husband, musician Marc Anthony. The doting mom once divulged that her beloved spouse is a good “father figure” to her kids, adding he has stepped up in being there for them, and the children adore him in return.