The Shady Side Of Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck is one of Hollywood's most popular and respected actor-directors, but his behavior off-camera over the years hasn't quite won over the public. As speculation continues to grow over his relationship with girlfriend Lindsay Shookus (and whether that relationship began during his marriage to Jennifer Garner), as well as his sobriety and his commitment to being Batman, we've pulled together a list of times that Affleck's behavior left a sour taste in our mouths.
He was accused of hooking up with his nanny
Affleck made major headlines when he became a Hollywood stereotype: Us Weekly reported that shortly after he and Garner separated, Affleck was spotted with their nanny, Christine Ouzounian. People reported that Ouzounian and Affleck were together in the Bahamas with Garner, but flew back ahead of Garner, who reportedly found out about the alleged affair while she was still on the island with her and Affleck's three children.
Affleck denied the whole thing, but he couldn't seem to explain why Ouzounian flew to Vegas on a private jet with him and his pal, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (and why she rocked Brady's Super Bowl rings during the flight.)
"He assured [Ouzounian] it was OK. Technically, he was her boss," a source told Hollywood Life of the Vegas jaunt. "...While in Vegas, Ben hid Christine the entire time. When they got back to LA, Jen heard about their trip without the kids and flipped out. She fired Christine right away, and Ben did nothing about it."
Was Shookus part of the equation too?
Ouzounian isn't the only woman with whom Affleck may have had an inappropriate relationship during his marriage to Garner. Numerous sources told People that Affleck and his current girlfriend, Saturday Night Live producer Lindsay Shookus, began hooking up in 2013 while he was still married.
A source close to Garner told Us Weekly in the summer of 2017, "Ben and Lindsay started their affair about three years ago, just a few months after she became a mom. They were not casually dating—they were having a full-blown affair. They were sleeping together, sending each other cute texts and meeting up whenever they could." Shookus was married to husband Kevin Miller throughout the alleged affair, at the time of this writing, she is still legally married to Miller.
An insider told Radar Online that Shookus and Affleck would meet in hotels and communicated through a secret email account, telling the site, "They were together on the set of Justice League (2017) in London where Ben was filming reshoots... Ben pledged to work on his marriage and the tension [with Garner] subsided, but he continued to see Lindsay in secret. She was the woman who ultimately ended any hope of reconciliation between Ben and Jen."
He may have cheated on J.Lo
Affleck hit it off with Garner in 2002 while they were filming Daredevil (2003). At the time, he was engaged to Jennifer Lopez. Affleck admitted to Playboy (via Pajiba), "[Daredevil is] where I found my wife. We met on Pearl Harbor (2001), which people hate, but we fell in love on Daredevil."
Aside from his Garner flirtation, Affleck may have been unfaithful with an exotic dancer as well. The National Enquirer (via the Daily Mail) reported that Affleck got very close to some strippers just before what would have been his and J.Lo's wedding, though he denied the allegations.
Seriously? No one cheats on Lopez. What the heck, Ben?
He's too good at gambling
Affleck is such a big gambler that TMZ claimed it was a factor in his divorce from Garner. The Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas reportedly banned Affleck in May 2014 after he was busted counting cards. TMZ pointed out that Affleck has made a lot of money from blackjack games–taking home $800,000 in just one night.
Affleck told Details (via People) that he's not a compulsive gambler and that he wasn't really banned. "That's tabloid s**t," he said. "I wish I could say [casinos] were afraid of me in every capacity, but they only said, 'No blackjack.'" Affleck added, "I took some time to learn the game and became a decent blackjack player. And once I became decent, the casinos asked me not to play blackjack."
He was a jerk on 'Gone Girl' for the dumbest reason
Affleck is a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan, and his devotion to the team created a headache for everyone on the set of Gone Girl (2014). Affleck told The New York Times in October 2014 that he fought with director David Fincher because Fincher wanted him to wear a New York Yankees hat for a particular scene.
"I said, 'David, I love you, I would do anything for you,'but I will not wear a Yankees hat. I just can't," Affleck recalled.
Fincher confirmed the incident in the commentary track for the film, adding that Affleck's protest shut down production for four days—which cost a lot of money. "I really wanted it to be a Yankees cap but ...being from Boston and not being very professional as an actor, Ben refused to wear a Yankees cap," Fincher said (via Decider). Affleck and Fincher eventually settled on a Mets hat after his tantrum.
He can't make up his mind about Batman
Affleck made his debut as Gotham's dark hero in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2015), and while the film wasn't well-received by critics, "Batfleck" was generally praised for his portrayal. However, the negative reviews for the film reportedly "humiliated" Affleck, and since then, it's been unclear how much longer he'll be part of the DC franchise.
In an August 2017 radio interview, Affleck's younger brother, Casey Affleck, may have accidentally revealed that Ben did not plan on returning to the franchise. "I think he was an OK Batman. He was great... He's a hero, so he had something to channel and work with there. But he's not going to do that movie [The Batman], I don't think, sorry to say," Casey said.
Casey later insisted he was just kidding, and Ben's rep denied that he was leaving the Warner Bros. project. In fact, Ben had said he was "thrilled" to be Batman.
However, in November 2017, while promoting Justice League (2017), Ben hinted that he may not be the caped crusader for much longer, telling USA Today, "[The Batman is] something I'm contemplating. You don't do it forever, so I want to find a graceful and cool way to segue out of it."
He groped Hilarie Burton without her permission
Before she was an actress, former One Tree Hill star Hilarie Burton was an MTV VJ—and she had an uncomfortable moment with Affleck in 2003 while she was on the clock. During a Total Request Live retrospective, Burton recalled interviewing the Oscar-winner for TRL.
"He wraps his arm around me and tweaks my left boob," Burton said. "I'm just like, 'What are you doing?'... Some girls like good tweakage here and there. I'd rather have a high-five."
After Burton recalled the incident on Twitter in October 2017, Affleck apologized for "acting inappropriately."
He may have groped other women, too
Just hours after apologizing to Burton, more women accused Affleck of touching them inappropriately and without consent, including comedian John Mulaney's wife, Annamarie Tendler, who tweeted, "I would also love to get an apology from Ben Affleck who grabbed my a** at a Golden Globes party in 2014." She added, "Like most women in these situations I didn't say anything but I have thought a lot about what I'd say if I ever saw him again."
Comedy writer Jen Statsky replied to Tendler, tweeting, "I was also at this party and *multiple* friends had this same exact experience."
It's worth noting that Affleck was still married to Garner during this time. The actor did not comment on those allegations.
He may know more about Harvey Weinstein
When Harvey Weinstein was accused of a whole lot of sexual harassment, as well as sexual assault, in October 2017, Affleck played dumb while immediately condemning the disgraced movie mogul.
"I am saddened and angry that a man who I worked with used his position of power to intimidate, sexually harass and manipulate many women over decades," Affleck wrote on Facebook. "The additional allegations of assault that I read this morning made me sick. This is completely unacceptable, and I find myself asking what I can do to make sure this doesn't happen to others. We need to do better at protecting our sisters, friends, co-workers and daughters. We must support those who come forward, condemn this type of behavior when we see it and help ensure there are more women in positions of power."
However, actress Rose McGowan, who accused Weinstein of raping her, claimed Affleck was well aware of Weinstein's reputation. She tweeted at Affleck (via Variety) "you lie," recalling an incident in which she supposedly talked to the actor about Weinstein. She claims Affleck responded, "Goddammit! I told him to stop doing that."