Ben Affleck confirms relapse: ‘I won’t let it derail me’

Just hours after being seen stumbling outside a Halloween party, Ben Affleck has confirmed a “slip” in his sobriety.

Ben Affleck’s ongoing recovery will not be derailed after one night, he says.

Hours after he was seen stumbling outside a Halloween party in West Hollywood, Affleck – who has been candid about his struggles with alcoholism – said he will not let a “slip” deter his progress.

“It happens. It was a slip. But I’m not going to let it derail me,” the 47-year-old actor told TMZ when asked about the previous night’s party.

The actor has been battling alcoholism. Picture: Noam Galai/Getty Images/AFP

Affleck did not comment when asked whether he’d be returning to rehab.

The actor was photographed Sunday with ex-wife Jennifer Garner and their children. They are parents to daughters Violet, 13, and Seraphina, 10, and son Samuel, 7.

On Saturday night, Affleck was seen on video appearing to lose his balance while departing the UNICEF Masquerade ball. Wearing a dark suit and a skull mask, the Oscar winner was filmed holding onto an SUV to steady himself. It is not clear what caused Affleck to lose his footing.

A source told Page Six on Sunday that sobriety is “difficult and elusive for everyone struggling with addiction,” and “Ben has acknowledged he’s going to slip up from time to time … it was never as if this was simply behind him.”

His ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, has been supporting him. Picture: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Ahead of his evening out, Affleck spoke about his recovery in an Instagram post, and also addressed his foray into online dating, after Page Six exclusively revealed he was on the celebrity-friendly dating app Raya.

“HA, you got me. I’m dating,” Affleck wrote. “But let’s be serious for a moment and talk about something that is actually important. I have been in recovery for over a year and part of that is helping out others.”

He continued, “@themidnightmission is an incredible organisation that helps those in need with housing, training, development and recovery. I’m making a donation today because there are people battling addiction every day that don’t have the resources and need help. @raya, you in? Who else is with me?”

This article originally appeared on NY Post and was reproduced with permission.