Ben Affleck hesitated over reuniting with Jennifer Lopez as he was worried about how media interest may affect his children.
The A-list stars, who were engaged between 2002 and 2004, rekindled their relationship earlier this year.
But while Affleck was keen to be with the superstar, in an interview with SiriusXM's Howard Stern, the actor confessed that he thought long and hard about the potential impact on his three children with ex-wife Jennifer Garner.
The former couple shares Violet, 16, Seraphina, 12, and nine-year-old Samuel.
"It crossed my mind for sure. My responsibility to my children is the highest responsibility. I don't want to do anything that is painful or destructive to them if I can help it," he said. "My life affects them. Me and their mom are celebrities. That is hard. That is a cross to bear."
Affleck also noted that he was saddened by the "horrible lies" printed in tabloids around the time of his divorce from Garner in 2018.
"The truth was we took our time, we made the decision, we grew apart," the 49-year-old continued. "We had a marriage that didn't work. We tried because we had kids. We did not want it to be the model of marriage for the kids. We did our best. I knew she was a good mom, and I hoped she knew I was a good dad. I had to get sober, and I acknowledge that."
