Violet Affleck, the 20-year-old daughter of actors Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck, was observed without a face mask during a lunch outing with her mother in Los Angeles on Thursday. This public appearance comes after Affleck previously advocated for the return of COVID-19 mask mandates.
During the outing, Affleck, who is a student at Yale University studying public health advocacy and environmental issues, was seen briefly removing her mask while picking up food. She was also observed wearing a moon boot on one foot due to an unknown injury. Despite the temporary removal of her mask, Affleck was later seen wearing one, adhering to what has been described as her usual protocol.
Affleck's past stance on mask-wearing was notably vocal. Last year, she addressed the United Nations, calling for the reinstatement of mandatory face masks. She expressed concern that people had abandoned masks too quickly, asserting that COVID-19 remained a prevalent threat. "It is neglect of the highest order to look children in the eyes and say: 'We knew how to protect you, and we didn't do it,'" she stated at the time, according to reports. She criticized the societal push to return to "normal" and the downplaying of airborne transmission and the risks of Long COVID, arguing that these choices were detrimental and "stealing our present."
Her consistent habit of wearing a mask in public is reportedly due to a post-viral condition she experienced in 2019, rather than a desire for privacy, according to E! News. Images from May also showed her using crutches and being assisted by her parents.
Separately, Jennifer Garner recently shared anecdotes about the impact of their fame on her family life. She recounted instances where paparazzi attention became so intense that they were asked to stop bringing their children to extracurricular activities, such as soccer practice, due to the disruption caused by photographers. Garner expressed concern over the safety implications for those around them, describing the situation as an "industry that had gotten out of control."