Ben Affleck has told his daughter she needs to be “realistic” in her campaign and cannot rely on her celebrity status after the 18-year-old was left “extremely disheartened” by the response to her speech on mask mandates.
Violet Affleck 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, in which she detailed her experience of contracting “a post-viral condition” in 2019.
Unsurprisingly, her unexpected speech, which lasted just under a minute, was divisive, with some calling her “brave” while others branded her “completely deluded.”
Violet, the eldest daughter of Ben, 51, and his ex-wife Jennifer Garner, 52, is said to be struggling with the “ridicule” and has felt “alone” in her fight to strengthen pandemic-era protections.
“While Ben and Jen will always support their daughter, Ben had a conversation with her and told her she needs to be realistic about this because he doesn’t want her to waste all her time putting effort into something that probably won’t make a difference in the long run,” a source told DailyMail.com.
Ben Affleck has told his daughter Violet she needs to be “realistic” about her campaign after she was left “extremely disheartened” by the response to her speech on mask mandates.
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 it, but now that Violet is an adult, he felt it was his duty to let her know that she is David fighting Goliath and that most people, unfortunately, don’t feel the same way she does about it.
‘She was also worried that Violet would feel that her parents’ star power would be able to guarantee her the outcome she wanted, which, in this case, is not the case.’
During her speech, Violet urged the board to “confront the long COVID crisis” by strengthening protections, offering high-quality testing and opposing the mask ban.
“I am demanding the availability of masks, air filtration, and Far-UVC light in government facilities, including jails and detention centers, and mask mandates in county medical schools,” he said.
‘Free, high-quality testing and treatment must be made available more widely, and most importantly, the county must oppose mask bans for any reason.
“They don’t make us any more protected. They make vulnerable members of our community less safe and make it less possible for everyone to participate together in Los Angeles.”
Videos of the speech were filled with comments condemning her defense, with one person writing: “This girl doesn’t know what the hell she’s talking about! Ignorance. How sad.”
Another commented: “This is what mania looks like.”
Violet, pictured wearing a mask while out with her stepmother Jennifer Lopez last weekend, has faced ridicule in the wake of her speech.
Ben “was concerned that Violet would feel that her parents’ star power was going to be able to guarantee her the outcome she wanted” (pictured with mother Jennifer Garner in May).
Others hailed her as a savior and quickly heralded the teenager as a voice for those suffering from long-term Covid or who are immunocompromised.
“Violet is a hero,” one person declared on Reddit. “Well done, girl!”
Another wrote: “You are a born leader and a great inspiration to the COVID-conscious community. Keep being the best person in the world and fighting for our rights.”
Violet, who recently graduated from high school, now seeks to stop persisting with her pleas.
“Violet is very disheartened and feels her request has only opened her up to more ridicule,” the source continued. “She believes her request for a mask mandate has fallen on deaf ears because it is not even being considered.”
‘She stopped reading the review and, although she is proud of her courage in doing so, she sees no point in going any further.
“She and those around her are clear that she is practically alone in this situation.”
Ben and Jennifer set strict guidelines ahead of her speech, requiring her to fully educate herself on the topic and wait until she was 18, insiders previously told DailyMail.com.
Violet, pictured maskless alongside her mother in 2022, is now looking to stop persisting with her pleas, the source said.
Her mask-wearing had become a hot topic of conversation online and neither Violet nor her parents had addressed it publicly until then.
She was notably seen wearing a mask at Michael Rubin’s White Party in 2023 and most recently while attending a Broadway show with Ben and his stepmother Jennifer Lopez.
She appeared to nod to her condition in May 2024 when she was photographed wearing a mask and holding 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 without the mask during a day out with Lopez in the Hamptons.
The teenager removed her protective mask while touring the East Hampton Antiques & Design Show with a friend and sat maskless inside a crowded tent.
Violet’s siblings Fin, formerly Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12, have not been photographed 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 tying the knot in July 2022.
But their marriage has been plagued by disputes over the past two months as the stars no longer live together.