Ben Affleck Says Viral Grammys Meme Was Due To 'Tremendous Stigma' From Being A Former Alcoholic

Despite the memes and jokes, Ben Affleck was not miserable at the Grammys!

The entertainer is one of Hollywood's iconic acts, with several accolades as an actor, filmmaker, and screenwriter. Outside his box office hits, the 50-year-old frequently makes headlines for his private life.

From his relationships to his remarkable recovery from an alcohol-fueled lifestyle, the public is glued to the hitmaker's actions. Which is why the Berkeley native's facial expressions at the Grammys sent the internet ablaze.

However, fans' speculations about the "Deep Water" star's hilarious reaction to the award ceremony were off the mark. Here is what the Academy award winner had to say about the viral incident!

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the "Batman v Superman" star addressed his infamous Grammys meme. For those unaware, the TV personality attended the prestigious event with his wife, Jennifer Lopez, in February.

However, the cameras caught the entertainer with a straight face during the show as though bored by the award ceremony. His reactions caused a stir on social media as viewers assumed the father-of-three was having a bad time.

"No. I had a good time at the Grammys," the 50-year-old refuted the rumors. "My wife was going, and I thought, 'Well, there’ll be good music. It might be fun.' At movie award shows, it’s speeches and, like, sound-mixing webinars. But I thought this would be fun."

Recalling one of the controversial moments that seemed like an argument with his wife on camera, the "Gone Girl" actor explained what transpired between him and the Latina goddess.

"I saw [Grammy host Trevor Noah approach], and I was like, 'Oh, God.' They were framing us in this shot, but I didn’t know they were rolling," the filmmaker began.

"I leaned into her, and I was like, 'As soon they start rolling, I’m going to slide away from you and leave you sitting next to Trevor.' She goes, 'You better fucking not leave.' That’s a husband-and-wife thing," the BAFTA honoree said.

The "Pearl Harbour" star confessed that he had attended events where he was "pissed off," "bored," and "drunk." Although no one had noticed the actor's inebriated state in the past, many suspected the Berkeley native was intoxicated at the Grammys.

"They were like, 'He's drunk.' And I thought, that's interesting," the Hollywood veteran confessed before noting such assumptions would not have occurred if he had not been open about his battle with alcoholism.

"That raises a whole other thing about whether or not it's wise to acknowledge addiction because there's a lot of compassion, but there is still a tremendous stigma, which is often quite inhibiting," the Eastern Congo Initiative co-founder explained. "I do think it disincentivizes people from making their lives better."

Looking at how his openness about alcoholism has impacted his life, the "Justice League" actor said: "I became — out of no desire of my own — one of the poster boys for actor alcoholism and recovery and the whole thing."

Although he became an inspiration to others against his will, the humanitarian revealed he enjoyed helping others. "The best part about that is that sometimes people call me up, and they’re like, 'Hey, can you help me out?' And it makes me feel so good to do that," the entertainer confessed.

However, the father-of-three noted that he usually advised people not to be open about their addiction as recovering alcoholics should stay anonymous. "You don’t need to be anybody’s poster child. You don’t need to f***ing tell anybody," the media personality said.

As previously shared, Affleck's facial expressions at the Grammys went viral on social media as several fans teased the "Argo" star for looking miserable. Many shared hilarious reactions to the incident on platforms like Twitter.

Doing what they do best, people created several memes using the TV personality's exasperated expressions. "You think the Grammys are too long? Imagine how Ben Affleck feels," a fan penned.

"Ben Affleck is every introvert everywhere. You can see his batteries draining in real-time. Man is already at 23%," another individual joked. A third platform user noted that the 50-year-old did not want to be at the event.

"Ben Affleck is every husband dragged to a work thing by his wife," the fan claimed. The Daily Beast writer Matt Wilstein echoed similar thoughts in his (tweet:)"Ben Affleck would rather be anywhere else than front row at the #Grammys2023 watching Stevie Wonder crush Higher Ground."