Ben Affleck has told his daughter she needs to be “realistic” about her campaign and not rely on his celebrity after the 18-year-old was left “extremely disheartened” by the reaction to her speech on mandatory mask-wearing.
Violet Affleck last week called on the Los Angeles County governing body to end all “mask bans” in medical facilities and government buildings in an impassioned plea, detailing her experience contracting “a post-viral illness” in 2019.
Unsurprisingly, her unexpected speech, which lasted just under a minute, was divisive, with some calling her “brave,” while others called her “absolutely foolish.”
Violet, the eldest daughter of Ben (51) and his ex-wife Jennifer Garner (52), is reportedly struggling with the ‘ridicule’ and feels ‘alone’ in her fight to strengthen protection during the pandemic.
“Ben and Jen will always support their daughter, but Ben has had a conversation with her and told her she needs to be realistic. He doesn’t want her to waste all her time investing effort into something that probably won’t make a difference in the long run,” an insider told DailyMail.com.
Ben Affleck has told his daughter Violet to be “realistic” about her campaign after she was “extremely discouraged” by the reaction to her speech on the mask mandate.
Violet, 18, called for an end to all “mask bans” in medical facilities and government buildings during an impassioned plea to the Los Angeles County governing body last week
‘He knows how strongly she feels about this, but now that Violet is an adult, he feels it’s his duty to let her know that she is David fighting Goliath and that unfortunately most people don’t feel the same way she does.
“He also worried that Violet felt her parents’ celebrity status would guarantee her the outcome she wanted, which is not the case here.”
During her speech, Violet urged the administration to “confront the long-term COVID crisis” by strengthening protections, providing high-quality testing and opposing a ban on masks.
“I demand that sufficient masks be available, that air be filtered and that far-UVC light be used in government institutions, including prisons and detention centers, and that mandatory mask wearing be made in the region’s medical schools,” she said.
“You must expand the availability of free, high-quality testing and treatment, and most importantly, the region must oppose the ban on face masks for any reason.
“They don’t keep us safer. They make vulnerable members of our community less safe and they make it harder for everyone to participate together in Los Angeles.”
Videos of the speech were flooded with comments condemning her advocacy, with one person writing: “This girl doesn’t know what she’s talking about! Ignorance. So sad.”
Another commented, “This is what mania looks like.”
Violet, who was pictured wearing a mask while out with her stepmother Jennifer Lopez over the weekend, was met with widespread ridicule after her speech
Ben was ‘concerned that Violet felt her parents’ celebrity status would guarantee her the outcome she wanted’ (pictured with mother Jennifer Garner in May)
Others saw her as a lifesaver, and the teen quickly became seen as the voice of advocacy for people with long-term COVID-19 or those with weakened immune systems.
“Violet is a hero,” someone declared on Reddit. “Keep it up, girl!”
Another wrote: ‘You are a natural born leader and a huge inspiration to the covid conscious community. Keep being the best person you can be and fight for our rights.’
Violet, who recently graduated from high school, now wants to stop pushing her requests further.
“Violet is extremely disheartened and feels like her request has only set her up for further ridicule,” the insider continued. “She believes her request for mask mandates has fallen on deaf ears because it’s not even being considered.
‘She stopped reading the criticism and while she is proud of her courage in doing so, she sees no reason to push the boundaries any further.
‘It is clear to her and the people around her that she is virtually alone in this.’
Ben and Jennifer set strict guidelines ahead of her speech, demanding she research the subject thoroughly and wait until she was 18, insiders previously told DailyMail.com.
Violet, pictured maskless next to her mother in 2022, now wants to refrain from pursuing her pleas further, the insider said.
Wearing her mask had become a hot topic on the Internet, but neither Violet nor her parents had spoken openly about it before.
She was spotted wearing a mask at Michael Rubin’s White Party in 2023 and more recently when she attended a Broadway show with Ben and her stepmother Jennifer Lopez.
She appeared to clarify her condition in May 2024 when she was photographed wearing a mask and reading Steven Thrasher’s award-winning 2022 book The Viral Underclass while spending time with her mother.
But just days after her passionate plea, she was spotted maskless during a day out with Lopez in the Hamptons.
The teen removed her protective face covering while attending the East Hampton Antiques & Design Show with a friend and sat maskless in a tent full of people.
Violet’s siblings Fin (formerly Seraphina, 15) and Samuel (12) are not depicted wearing masks.
Jennifer and Ben announced their separation in 2015 after nearly 10 years of marriage and officially filed for divorce in 2017.
Jennifer has since moved on with businessman John Miller, while Ben rekindled his romance with Lopez in April 2021, before they tied the knot in July 2022.
But their marriage has been plagued by divorces for the past two months as the stars no longer live together.