For two entire years, the media could not take its eyes off the hottest and most fabulous couple to that date, as Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck continued to put on public displays of affection for the cameras. And it was precisely the intense media scrutiny that killed the affair, and his career with it, the actor, now happily married and father of two, says in a recent interview as quoted by ContactMusic.

Fans must certainly remember the kind of frenzy a public appearance from Jen and Ben could generate. Not only were they the couple that sold most magazines, but they were also very willing to show their love to the world which, in turn, made the media want them even more. This kind of attention, to which Affleck personally was not really accustomed, eventually destroyed their affair, led to the cancelation of the wedding and the demise of his acting career, Ben says.

“I was no longer in control of my life. I thought I wanted certain things, but I didn’t. I got lost. I felt suffocated, miserable and gross. I should never have gone down that route or got sucked in to all the publicity.” Affleck explains in a recent interview. He fell a victim to the grinding media machine and ended up by being swallowed, chewed up and then spat out. His career suffered the same fate, since it became increasingly difficult for anyone to focus on anything else than his personal life.

“I was typecast as myself. Too many people weren’t getting past what they read about me. That was damaging. I can tell from experience it’s bad for you, and bad for your career. So I took a break, went away for a while and let things calm down.” Affleck recalls. In the meantime, he found peace and he continues to hold on to it as he settled in his part as husband and father, somewhat to the detriment of acting. Not that he regrets the decision, either way.

“Work has taken a back seat. My job is not as important as it was. Saying that having a family changed my life is a cliché. But it’s true – it re-arranged my life and made me see clearly.” the former heartthrob, now a very rare presence on the celebrity circuit, concludes by saying.