Ben Affleck’s Teen Shuts Down His Dating Advice With a Brutal Reminder of His Own Love Life
Hollywood stars can command red carpets and box office numbers, but Ben Affleck’s kids roasting his dating history proves that nobody keeps a celebrity humble quite like their own teenagers. The 54-year-old Oscar winner shares 3 children with ex-wife Jennifer Garner: Violet, 20, Fin, 17, and Samuel, 14.
Affleck’s romantic past has been tabloid fodder for decades. He married Jennifer Lopez in 2022 after an earlier engagement, but the pair split 2 years later, and his dating history also includes Gwyneth Paltrow and Ana de Armas.
That track record came back to bite him in the most relatable way. Appearing on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ on September 24, Affleck explained that his kids often talk at dinner about their friends, drama, and relationships, and he figured his lived experience might be worth sharing.
It wasn’t. As he started weighing in on one particular relationship, his 17-year-old cut him off with a single question: “Oh, like you’re the expert on relationships?” The studio audience burst out laughing, and so did Affleck. The story has since traveled far beyond American late-night TV, with outlets around the world picking up the savage comeback.
The dinner table wasn’t the only place the teen took aim. Affleck recalled browsing a bookstore with the same child when they spotted a book by a French author titled ‘I’m Sorry for Everything’. His kid immediately joked that it must be his autobiography. Rather than being wounded, Affleck said he was proud of the sharp comedic timing.
The actor admitted parenting teenagers hasn’t gone quite the way he pictured. He said he never imagined he wouldn’t be the cool dad, yet now he notices his kids rolling their eyes and swapping knowing glances whenever he launches into advice.
He described himself as the caricature in the story, the dad whose kids silently groan at whatever he’s about to say. Kimmel, a father of 4 himself, joked that it’s nice when your kids are on the same team, until you realize you’re the opponent.
This isn’t the first time Affleck’s children have made him the punchline. While promoting ‘The Accountant 2’ last year, he told Kimmel that his kids roasted him after watching ‘Armageddon’.
The family stories came as Affleck was promoting his new crime thriller ‘Animals’, which he directs and stars in. He plays Mark Kimball, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose life spirals after his son is kidnapped, and the film hits Netflix and select theaters on October 9.
Kerry Washington co-stars as his estranged wife, alongside Gillian Anderson, Adriana Paz, Luis Gerardo Méndez and Steven Yeun. Affleck also revealed that the lead roles were originally written for Matt Damon and Jennifer Garner.
The wide-ranging chat also covered his $1,000,000 win for charity on ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’. He even recorded a mock audition to become the voice of Boston’s Logan Airport, complete with a heavy Boston accent.
Despite the teasing, Affleck appears close with all 3 of his children, and he and Garner have continued to put their family first since their split. Moments like these show a lighter, self-deprecating side of a star whose personal life has often been picked apart by the press.
For Affleck, getting roasted by his own kids may simply be the price of offering romantic wisdom when his history hands them so much material. And judging by his laughter, he’s more than willing to pay it.
Did Ben Affleck’s teen have a point with his brutal dating advice roast?
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