Spencer Pratt is speaking out against comments Ben Affleck made in 2021 about addiction and recovery. The remarks resurfaced this week, and Pratt shared them online along with his own response.
Pratt, who ran for mayor of Los Angeles earlier this year, made the city’s addiction crisis a central part of his campaign. He used his platform to challenge Affleck’s view directly.
According to Fox News, Affleck, who has spoken openly about his years-long struggle with alcoholism, made the original comments during a 2021 appearance on The Howard Stern Show.
Affleck’s comments on addiction and recovery resurface
In the resurfaced clip, Affleck talked about his own path to sobriety. He criticized costly treatment programs and said some recovery programs are not honest about what they offer people.
“I hate to say it, but the cure for addiction, the only cure I’ve seen, and not like these f– overpriced rehabs or a lot of these fraudulent fixes that are sold to people. And they’re good people who will support you. Alcoholics Anonymous, I think by and large, is a good organization. It’s not the only one. The cure for addiction is suffering,” Affleck said.
He then explained what he meant by that. “You suffer enough that something inside you goes, ‘I’m done,'” Affleck said. He added that he felt lucky because he reached that point after realizing what he was at risk of losing, saying it was not his career or money, but his relationship with his kids.
Affleck also described the moment he recognized how his drinking had affected his children. “And what I felt as if it impacted them,” he said. “I recognized it. It was the worst day of my life. I made amends. And for a while I thought, ‘Maybe this is temporary, maybe this feeling is going to go away.’ But since that day, I swear to Christ, I have not ever wanted to drink once.”
On Monday, Pratt reposted the clip on social media along with his own criticism of Affleck’s comments. Pratt suggested that Affleck visit Skid Row, an area of Los Angeles known for high rates of homelessness and drug addiction, to test out his theory in person.
“I’d love for Ben to join me on Skid Row and explain his addiction theory to the methed out psychos skinning dogs alive and sleeping in their own feces,” Pratt wrote. “Plenty of suffering out there, and yet…somehow the addiction persists. I wonder what the difference is…”
Pratt, known for his role on The Hills, lost his home in the Palisades Fire in January 2025. He announced his run for mayor on the one-year anniversary of the fire. During his campaign, he called for direct action on homelessness in Los Angeles, describing it mainly as a drug addiction issue. He pointed to fentanyl and methamphetamine as major factors behind the city’s homeless population.
In March, Pratt said, “LA doesn’t have a homeless problem. We have a drug problem.” Pratt also pushed for placing people with severe addiction into involuntary treatment under California’s SB 43 law, which expanded the state’s conservatorship rules. He argued that many people struggling with addiction are not able to seek help on their own.
In May, Pratt released a five-point plan focused on addiction treatment instead of housing. The plan called for building rehabilitation centers on federal land away from residential areas. It also proposed ending taxpayer-funded distribution of drug paraphernalia, stronger enforcement of existing drug laws, and a partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration to target fentanyl dealers and trafficking networks operating in the city.
Pratt additionally criticized organizations he said were bringing people struggling with addiction into Los Angeles from other states to receive services. During his campaign, Pratt also brought attention to reports of mistreated dogs on Skid Row, describing it as another result of the city’s drug crisis.
He repeatedly criticized his opponents in the mayoral race, Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman, saying they spent large amounts of money on homelessness without properly addressing addiction. As the race progressed, Pratt also fired back at Jimmy Kimmel’s criticism of his candidacy during the campaign.
Pratt conceded the mayoral race in June but has continued to comment on Los Angeles politics, especially issues involving addiction, homelessness, and public safety. His run also drew attention when some supporters were reported to be flying into LA to cast ballots for him despite not living in the city.
Affleck first entered treatment for alcohol addiction in 2001 and has spoken about his recovery at different points since then, including additional stays in rehab in 2017 and 2018. He has described his sobriety as an ongoing effort and has acknowledged relapsing in the past.
Affleck has said his three children, Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel, whom he shares with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, have played a major role in his decision to stay sober. During a 2020 interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC News, Affleck said growing up with an alcoholic father influenced his own path toward sobriety.
“My dad, he was drunk every day and that was just life,” Affleck said. “Then as that got worse, that was really, really painful. But I always said, that would never be me. I am never going to do that.”
He added, “I wish he had been sober during those formative years, but what he’s taught me is, how important it is for me to be sober now during these formative years for my kids.” Affleck also said, “I really don’t want my children to pay for my sins. Or to be afraid for me, which is one of the hard parts of being the child of an alcoholic.”
Published: Aug 4, 2026 12:15 pm