Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner laid out strict guidelines for their daughter Violet ahead of her impassioned speech about imposing “mask mandates,” demanding she fully educate herself on the topic and wait until she’s 18.
Violet 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 earlier this week in which she detailed her experience of contracting “a post-viral condition” in 2019.
Despite growing up in the spotlight, the teenager has maintained a modicum of silence, but apparently decided to speak out publicly to end persistent speculation surrounding her prolific use of masks and accusations of “hypochondria.”
“She’s wanted to do it for a long time but her parents wanted her to wait until she was 18,” a source told DailyMail.com exclusively. “It shows she’s choosing it for herself and not doing it because she’s been told to.”
The source confirmed that her parents used their influence to facilitate the situation, adding: “Her parents are very supportive of whatever she decides to do and were able to pull some strings to get her before the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. They are proud of her.”
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner expressed their support for their 18-year-old daughter, Violet, as she made an impassioned plea to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is the governing body of Los Angeles County, where Violet resides. The Board holds regular meetings where the public can register to speak on specific issues.
During her speech, Violet cited her experience of contracting “a post-viral illness” and urged the board to “confront the long COVID crisis” by strengthening pandemic-era protections in hospitals and government buildings.
“I am demanding availability of masks, air filtration, and Far-UVC light in government facilities, including jails and detention centers, and mask mandates in county medical schools,” Violet said.
“They must expand the availability of free, high-quality testing and treatment, and most importantly, the county must oppose mask bans for any reason. They do not make us safer.”
The source explained that Violet has grown tired of the constant questions about why she wears a mask outdoors.
“Violet has to constantly defend her mask-wearing, and in doing so, she has to repeatedly talk about her personal health issues,” the source explained. “She’s been called a hypochondriac, paranoid and other names simply because she’s protecting her health, and she’s found this very upsetting for years.”
‘There were also ridiculous rumors that she covered her face to avoid having to talk to people who easily recognize her, even though she looks so much like her famous mother.
“By speaking out, it gave him the opportunity to stand up for something he believes in while at the same time silencing everyone else’s chatter.”
Violet called for an end to all “mask bans” in her speech, in which she also detailed her experience of contracting “a post-viral illness” in 2019.
Insiders told DailyMail.com that her doting parents demanded she wait until she was 18 to begin her campaign and also get an education (pictured, August 2022).
A second source close to the situation explained how Ben and Jennifer have worked hard as co-parents to raise their children to fight for what they believe is right.
“Ben and Jen are amazing parents and have taught their kids to stand up for what they believe in,” the source began.
‘Violet has been advocating for mandatory mask wearing for so long that all they wanted from her was to study everything related to the issue, to learn about it, so that when she spoke about it, she would be well informed so that others could benefit from her education on the subject.’
The source also revealed that her parents were thrilled to see their growing daughter so willing to use her voice to fight for others and continued: ‘They are proud of her for taking this stance because it means so much to her. Violet is looking to do good and use her voice as a beacon for change. Ben and Jen find that incredible.
“They still can’t believe she’s 18, but the woman she has become and is becoming is something they are extremely proud of and they hope she continues to speak out about things that are important to her future.”
As expected, Violet’s unexpected speech was met with both praise and criticism, with some calling her “brave” while others branded her “completely deluded.”
Her request came just weeks after Dr. Anthony Fauci was reported to have admitted that the restrictions he implemented during lockdown did little to “slow the spread” of Covid, and as lawmakers are signaling an openness to reinstating mask bans amid a rise in clashes at protests.
Violet has reportedly grown tired of constant questions about why she wears a mask outdoors (pictured with her father and stepmother Jennifer Lopez in 2023)
She appeared to nod to her condition in May 2024 when she was photographed wearing a mask and carrying Steven Thrasher’s 2022 book, The Viral Underclass, while with her mother.
Violet argued that anti-mask measures are making “vulnerable members of our community less safe” and “making everyone less able to participate together in Los Angeles.”
He also said he “saw firsthand” that medicine does not always have answers to the “consequences of even minor viruses” when he went through his own health scare in 2019.
Violet’s mask-wearing has become a hot topic of conversation online, though neither Violet nor her parents have addressed it publicly.
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.
Violet’s siblings, Fin (formerly Seraphina), 15, and Samuel, 12, have not been photographed wearing masks.
The teens’ parents, who met on the set of Pearl Harbor, married in June 2005, just six months before Violet was born.
They 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.
Jennifer and Ben also share Fin (formerly Seraphina), 15, and son Samuel, 12 (pictured in 2018).
The two tied the knot in Las Vegas in July 2022, followed by a lavish ceremony in Georgia the following month.
But their marriage has been plagued by disputes over the past two months as the stars no longer live together.
Lopez resides in her $60 million mansion in Bel Air, California, while Ben stays in his $100,000-a-month rental located near his ex-wife Jennifer.
The Argo star has been pictured spending quality time with her children in recent weeks, with Violet wearing a mask during outings she has joined her dad on.
Last month, sources told DailyMail.com that Jennifer made a conscious decision to step away from the “circus” surrounding her ex-husband’s marriage to Lopez after he dredged up “painful” divorce memories for the actress.
Close sources had previously revealed how the Elektra star had been acting as a “counselor” to the troubled couple as she desperately tried to help them sort out their alleged issues.