Ben Affleck Appears Drunk At LA Halloween Party: 'It Was Never As If This Was Simply Behind Him'

UPDATE, 7:56 p.m. ET — Ben speaks!

The actor bounced back on Sunday afternoon and appeared to be in good spirits, as paparazzi cameramen caught up with him outside of what was apparently his ex, Jennifer Garner‘s house. No word on whether he was there to see the ex-couple’s children, or what, but Ben did appear surprisingly optimistic throughout the whole short interview with the photogs.

“Well, you know, it happens,” Affleck said to the camera while shrugging his shoulders. “I slipped, but I’m not going to let it derail me. [unintelligible] … Thank you very much, guys.”

OK then! He sure didn’t seem too down there, at least. Here’s hoping he uses this to springboard back positively somehow!

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Ben Affleck appears to have been drunk while leaving a Hollywood Halloween party on Saturday night.

The 47-year-old actor, who has long struggled with alcohol addiction and been to rehab several times because of it, was caught stumbling and struggling to walk at points after leaving his hotel in West Hollywood for the UNICEF Masquerade Ball. It’s difficult to tell for sure whether he was drunk, but a video showing him struggling to walk is making its way around the internet on Sunday.

Related: Ben Was ‘In A Great Place’ Just Two Months Ago…

The video in question can be seen at TMZ (click HERE to view), and it shows a masked man preparing for the ball, while stumbling out to a waiting car and very slowly struggling to get inside. According to multiple sources and reports, they contend that the man is, in fact, Affleck.

It’s an unfortunate look, considering how hard the actor has worked to get sober in the first place over the last couple of years, but it may not necessarily come as a surprise — or a disappointment — to those around him. One well-placed source spoke to People about Affleck’s drinking, and said (below):

“Sobriety is difficult and elusive for everyone struggling with addiction. Ben has acknowledged he’s going to slip up from time to time. It was never as if this was simply behind him.”

Interesting…

That tracks with what previous source, too, who said something very similar about the inevitable ups and downs that come around when battling an alcohol addiction. That insider said at the time (below):

“[Ben] is very open about how challenging it is for him and works on his sobriety daily. Ben thinks of alcoholism as a disease—you shouldn’t be ashamed of a disease … [and he’s] very serious about his sobriety. It’s definitely not easy for Ben.”

Unfortunately, now the world has apparently seen that first hand. You know, just hours earlier, the Good Will Hunting actor was writing on social media about supporting an LA organization called The Midnight Mission, asking his followers to help donate to their cause.

Related: Is Jon Hamm Dating Ben Affleck’s Ex Now?!

In doing so, he opened up a bit about his own addiction, writing (below):

“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. @themidnightmission is an incredible organization 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.”

Here’s that social media post (below):

Wow. How prescient.

For now, it’s unclear what the next steps here will be, but let’s just hope Ben gets whatever assistance he may need. Here’s to better health!

[Image via Avalon/WENN]