Lindsay Shookus' breakup from Ben Affleck was reportedly 'very hard': 'She had to let him hit bottom'
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Ben Affleck and "Saturday Night Live" producer Lindsay Shookus split earlier this month after the 38-year-old decided that she could no longer deal with the actor's on-going addiction struggles, according to People.
“Lindsay had been supporting Ben’s sobriety and going to meetings with him. She had him in meditation and they were doing it together,” a source close to the former couple told the outlet. “His recovery was something that was very important to both of them."
And though Shookus stood by Affleck's side for a little more than a year, according to the source, it became increasingly more complicated for her to keep up with her then-boyfriend as he reportedly entered a more aggressive downward spiral during in the last few months of their relationship.
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Sadly, the Emmy Award-winning producer decided that it was best for her to take a step back from their relationship so that the "Argo" actor could focus more on himself and getting better.
“It was very hard for her to break up with Ben, but she knew he wasn’t getting better and that it was time for her to step aside,” the source said to People. “She was trying to stay as close to him as possible so that he would stay on the right path, but ultimately it just wasn’t possible. She knew she had to let him hit bottom.”
The insider continued, “All she wanted was for him to be happy and healthy. It was a difficult choice but the right one.”
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On Wednesday, Ben Affleck checked into rehab for the third time after his estranged wife, Jennifer Garner, staged an intervention, according to multiple reports.
TMZ was first to report that the star checked into a treatment facility after Garner went to his Pacific Palisades home to sit down with him. Garner reportedly left the home visibly shaken, before returning shortly after with an unidentified woman. After that, all three got in a car and headed for a treatment facility.
In the days leading up to his encounter with Garner, The Blast obtained photos of Affleck receiving a delivery of alcohol at his home. People reported that Affleck has been in ongoing treatment and has attended meetings for alcohol abuse. The magazine also noted that he knew he needed treatment and reportedly didn't resist Garner's pleas for him to enter rehab.
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An insider told Page Six that Affleck was "having a tough time" since ending his yearlong relationship with the "Saturday Night Live" producer.
Affleck is now reportedly in a live-in treatment facility, where he will stay for an extended period of time.
Prior to traveling to rehab, Affleck was snapped on two occasions with rumored new girl, Playboy model Shauna Sexton. The two were recently spotted at Malibu's celeb hot-spot Nobu and were also photographed on a much more low-key outing at a Jack in the Box drive-thru, grabbing hamburgers and fries in Affleck's Range Rover.
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While the 46-year-old actor was snapped driving to rehab on Wednesday, Sexton was spotted on the beaches of Malibu rocking an olive-green bikini and enjoying a relaxing a day in the sun.
On Saturday morning, news broke that Affleck and Garner have officially finalized their divorce following their 3-year split. TMZ reported that the couple would officially settle the divorce case after the actor is released from rehab.
According to the outlet, the famous couple reached a custody settlement, in which they agreed to Affleck having joint custody of their three children, and a property settlement.