The last thing Ben Affleck desires is to control the futures of his children. After all, the Oscar winner has revealed that he and his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, are not interested in pushing their children, Violet (20), Seraphina (17), or Samuel (13), to follow in their footsteps in front of the camera.
In a joint interview with Matt Damon at the world premiere of "The Rip" on Jan. 13, Ben told E! News, "When you lead a public life, it's complicated to impose something on your children. We genuinely want to give them space to figure out what they want to do." He continued, "I wouldn't push them into it. They're brilliant, lovely, and wonderful, and we love and are proud of them. And we hope they don't waste their lives acting."
While Ben understands the privilege his and Jennifer's careers have provided for their kids, as well as Matt and his wife Luciana Damon's four daughters, he's grateful for his own upbringing. As he put it, "In some way, it was kind of a blessing to be anonymous, to struggle, and to start from where we did—which was just in the middle of nowhere."
While Samuel and Seraphina are still focusing on school, Violet—who is currently studying at Yale University—has found her footing in activism. Most recently, she delivered a passionate speech at the United Nations about the importance of mask mandates and clean air initiatives after the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We are told by leaders across the board that we are the future," she said in front of members of the UN in September. "But when it comes to the ongoing pandemic, our present is being stolen right in front of our eyes."
"My hope for this event and my belief in this community is based on the belief that we can and must do it again," she explained. "We can recognize filtered air as a human right, as intuitively as we do filtered water."
Ben and Jennifer—who were married from 2005 until 2018—couldn't be prouder of their eldest. "She's a self-starter," the "13 Going On 30" actress shared on "Live with Kelly and Mark" in 2023. "I'm proud of her no matter what."
"The Rip" premieres on Netflix on Jan. 16.
