Ben Affleck is making it clear that in relation to his youngsters, management is just not a part of the plan.
The Oscar-winning actor has opened up about why he and ex-wife Jennifer Garner are deliberately stepping again and permitting their children to form their very own paths.
From resisting Hollywood stress to supporting activism and independence, Affleck’s parenting philosophy facilities on selection, freedom, and belief, even when which means letting go.
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Ben Affleck On Why He Refuses To Push His Youngsters Into Hollywood
Affleck has been candid about why he doesn’t need his youngsters following him into appearing.
Talking to E! Informationon the world premiere of “The Rip” on January 13, Affleck defined that fame complicates parenting.
“You set one thing in your youngsters when you could have a public life, and that’s sophisticated,” he mentioned. “We actually wish to give them room to determine what they wish to do.”
The 53-year-old harassed that the choice is rooted in love, not indifference.
“I wouldn’t push them into that. They’re sensible and beautiful and great, and we love them, and we’re pleased with them,” the actor added, earlier than joking, “and hope that they don’t waste their life appearing.”
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For Affleck, the precedence is making certain Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel develop into individuals who really feel empowered to decide on their very own futures, with out the load of expectation tied to his profession.
Whereas acknowledging the benefits his profession has given his youngsters, he additionally mirrored on how totally different his personal upbringing was.
Evaluating his previous to the lives his children now lead, Affleck mentioned, “In a roundabout way, it was form of a blessing to anonymity, to battle, to the place we began, which was simply in the midst of nowhere.”
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Affleck Is Proud As His Daughter Violet Finds Her Personal Voice
“We’re informed by leaders that we’re the longer term. However in relation to the continued pandemic, our current is being stolen proper in entrance of our eyes.”
Unimaginable speech by Violet Affleck who warned about COVID & Lengthy Covid, & advocated for masks & clear air on the UN as we speak! pic.twitter.com/cSvVaKrNY9
— Dr. Fortunate Tran (@luckytran) September 23, 2025
Ben Affleck’s eldest daughter, Violet, has already begun forging her personal id far outdoors Hollywood.
At the moment learning at Yale College, Violet has turned towards activism, lately delivering a speech on the United Nations targeted on masks mandates and clear air initiatives after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re informed by leaders throughout the board that we’re the longer term,” Violet mentioned throughout her deal with in September 2025. “However in relation to the continued pandemic, our current is being stolen proper in entrance of our eyes.”
The 20-year-old continued, “My hope for this occasion and my perception on this neighborhood pressed on the assumption that we are able to, and we should do this once more. We will acknowledge filtered air as a human proper, as intuitively as we do filtered water.”
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The next month, her proud dad praised her publicly, telling Entry Hollywood, “[Violet] takes after her mother. She’s spectacular.”
He later added, “I couldn’t be extra pleased with my youngsters. I can’t even let you know.”
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Ben Affleck And Jennifer Garner Agree On Letting Youngsters Select

Affleck and Garner, who married in 2005 and finalized their divorce in 2018, seem aligned of their parenting strategy.
Garner has echoed her ex-husband’s perception that folks shouldn’t dictate their youngsters’s futures.
Talking to Marie Claire UK on Tuesday, she mentioned, “They’re simply so cool! Parenting now has shifted. It’s extra about parenting with a button on my mouth…. You must allow them to develop up and make their selections. You don’t get to manage it.”
Garner additionally spoke brazenly about how tough their separation was for the household.
“The precise breaking apart of a household is what was arduous,” she mentioned. “Shedding a real partnership and friendship is what was arduous.”
Regardless of that, each dad and mom have emphasised cooperation and mutual respect in relation to elevating their youngsters, prioritizing emotional stability over authority.
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Affleck Isn’t Happy With His Ex-Spouse Jennifer Lopez’s Presence Round His Youngsters, Sources Declare

Whereas Ben Affleck co-parents amicably with Garner, a current report from The Blast revealed that the filmmaker is reportedly feeling “pissed off” by ex-wife Jennifer Lopez’s ongoing presence round his youngsters.
Based on the report, one supply revealed that the youngsters really feel overwhelmed by the actress being “round on a regular basis.”
They added that the youngsters are craving extra normalcy and house from the highlight and fixed superstar consideration.
One other insider famous that Affleck is doing his finest to strike a stability however that the disruption to every day routines has been noticeable, with children reportedly lacking quieter, much less public moments at residence.
Regardless of these tensions, sources harassed that Affleck and Lopez are usually not rekindling romance, describing them as in a “good place” as co-parents and supportive of one another’s roles.
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Ben Affleck Noticed Purchasing With Jennifer Lopez And His Son Samuel

The revelation got here days after The Blast reported that Affleck launched into a public vacation outing that confirmed a united co-parenting entrance with Lopez as they stepped out to do festive buying along with his son, Samuel, in Los Angeles.
On December 21, 2025, the pair had been noticed at clothes manufacturers Sezane after which Doen, the place they shopped collectively and later loved lunch alongside Affleck’s 13-year-old son.
A supply revealed that the 2 appeared “superb” and targeted on making the day particular for Samuel slightly than drawing consideration to themselves.
Pictures and experiences described the outing as relaxed and family-centered, with Samuel reportedly excited and chatty as they visited a number of luxurious shops to choose up vacation presents.
Lopez was attentive and engaged, asking questions and serving to select presents for the youngsters, whereas Affleck and Samuel moved between outlets collectively.



