Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's daughter Violet has demanded the imposition of 'mask mandates' in medical facilities and called for an end to all 'mask bans' in a passionate plea to the governing body for Los Angeles County.
The 18-year-old, citing her experience of contracting 'a post-viral condition' in 2019, urged the LA County Board of Supervisors 'to confront the long COVID crisis' by strengthening pandemic-era protections in hospitals and government buildings.
'I demand mask availability, air filtration and Far-UVC light in government facilitates, including jails and detention centers, and mask mandates in county medical faculties,' Violet, who is often seen wearing a face mask, said.
'You must expand the availability of high-quality free tests and treatment, and most importantly the county must oppose mask bans for any reason. They do not keep us safer.'
Violet's controversial speech was met with both praise and criticisms, with some hailing her as 'courageous' and others 'utterly deluded'.
Her plea comes just weeks after Dr Anthony Fauci admitted the covid restrictions he put in place during lockdown didn't do much to 'slow the spread' of the virus, and as lawmakers have signaled they're open to reinstating mask bans amid a rise in clashes at protests.
Violet argued that anti-mask measures are making 'vulnerable members of our community less safe' and 'make everyone less able to participate in Los Angeles together'.
She also detailed her experience of contracting 'a post-viral condition' in 2019, and said she 'saw first-hand' that medicine doesn't always have answers to the 'consequences of even minor viruses'.
The teen, introducing herself, told the board: 'Hi, Violet Affleck, Los Angeles resident, first time voter, I'm 18.'
She then shared: 'I contracted a post-viral condition in 2019. I'm okay now, but I saw first-hand that medicine does not always have answers to the consequences of even minor viruses.'
The eldest daughter of the Argo director, 51, and the 13 Going on 30 star, 52 — who divorced in 2018 — then spoke about the COVID-19 pandemic and how 'one in ten infections leads to long COVID, which is a devastating neurological, cardiovascular illness that can take away people's ability to work, move, see and even think.'
'It stands to exacerbate our homelessness crisis, as well as the suffering of many people in our city. It hits communities of color, disabled people, elderly people, trans people, women and anyone in a public facing essential job the hardest.'
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is the governing body for Los Angeles County, where Violet resides. The Board holds regular meetings where the public can register to speak on specific issues.
Violet's controversial mask stance was met with both praise and criticisms, with some hailing her as 'courageous' and others 'utterly deluded'.
'At 18 she has more courage than some people will ever have in their entire lifetimes,' one person wrote.
'Amazing testimony! Violet is 100% on COVID Twitter. Thank you!' another added.
'I wish more celebrities had the courage of Violet Affleck. She’s only 18 years old and is doing more than any politician.'
'Extremely impressive how much she fit into that one minute,' someone else chimed in.
'Violet Affleck is Ben Affleck’s daughter. She continues to be even more impressive as a teenager. I can’t wait to see what she does as an adult.'
Violet has consistently been seen wearing a mask in the past years, though her parents never publicly explained why.
She was seen wearing one at Michael Rubin's White Party in 2023, recently in May 2024 while spending time with her mom, and while attending a Broadway show with Ben and her stepmom Jennifer Lopez.
Garner and Affleck also share Fin (formerly Seraphina), 15, and son Samuel, 12.
The former pair met on the set of the movie Pearl Harbor in the early 2000s, but didn't start dating until later.
In 2004, shortly after his first broken engagement to Lopez, the two sparked up a romance, before getting married in 2005.
Violet was born that same year in December. Fin followed in 2009 and Samuel in 2012.
The duo announced their separation in 2015 after nearly 10 years of marriage, and officially filed for divorce in 2017.
Garner has since moved on with businessman John Miller.
Meanwhile Affleck rekindled his romance with Lopez in April 2021. The two wed in Vegas in July 2022, followed by a lavish ceremony in Georgia in August. However, the pair's marriage has been hit by split claims for the past two months.
