Violet Affleck Has Grown Up Right In Front Of Our Eyes

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner were one of the most prominent celebrity couples in the '00s. So, many fans might have been disappointed after they announced their decision to part ways in 2015, before making their divorce official three years later. Prior to their split, the couple welcomed three kids and they continue to co-parent Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel Affleck. Although Garner and Ben have gone their separate ways, they still share kind words about one another.

"She's just a fabulous person," Affleck said of Garner one year after they announced their split during an interview with "CBS This Morning." "She's a great mother. She's a real talent ... She's somebody that I admire and respect and remain excellent friends with." 

For the most part, the couple keeps their kids out of the spotlight. That's probably why the 16-year-old made headlines after being spotted tagging along on her father's honeymoon. In the rare moments that she's been snapped out and about in public, many outlets have pointed out that Violet looks a lot like her mom. Yes, she's no longer in elementary school. Can you believe it? It seems that Violet Affleck has grown up right in front of our eyes. Keep reading to find out more about Ben and Garner's eldest child. 

Although Violet Affleck is the daughter of two of the world's most famous actors, she's experienced many elements of a normal childhood. She may have had a religious upbringing because she was baptized at a church in her mom's West Virginia hometown in 2006. She was also involved in sports, with Violet playing soccer during her early childhood years. Sadly, her parents' fame may have gotten in the way of that particular hobby. 

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jennifer Garner revealed that Violet was kicked off of her soccer team in Kindergarten because of the commotion that followed her and Ben Affleck. When the mom began advocating for better protection for her little ones against paparazzi intrusion, Violet also showed an interest in speaking out about the issue. 

Garner gathered local authorities and other celebrity parents to her home to discuss the issue, where her daughter offered her view on the matter. She was still in kindergarten at the time. "Violet's hyper-articulate," the mom told the outlet. "... She stood up on a chair in a little velvet dress, with her hair a bit back and her glasses on and she didn't say her R's right, and she said: 'We didn't ask for this. We don't want these cameras, they're scary. The men are scary, they knock each other over and it's hard to feel like a kid when you're being chased.'"

Violet Affleck is quite the scholar. During an appearance on "Today with Hoda and Jenna," Jennifer Garner suggested her then-15-year-old daughter was attending an all-girls school and was focused more on making good grades than dating. During an appearance on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," Ben Affleck similarly gushed about his daughter's academic excellence — and apparently Spanish is one of her favorite subjects. "She's always been a very good student, and she's been interested in Spanish, and so I would often help her," the dad said. "Now, all of a sudden, she's gotten into the grade where she's, like, in the harder Spanish classes and she's getting better." 

By all accounts, Ben appeared to be an active student of the language too. In a video captured by Hollywood Pipeline, the actor was seen attempting to speak Spanish while discussing his Fourth of July plans with paparazzi. During the conversation, he admitted that while his grasp of the language is decent, his daughter speaks Spanish far better than he does. As he told Kelly Clarkson, he struggles to keep up with Violet's smarts. "She's right at the point where I think she might be passing me," he said. "I was like, 'Nope. This is not happening. I don't mind that I can't do your math homework when you're 14 years old, but you are not going to be better at Spanish than me. So, I've decided now I gotta take classes — I gotta do something to keep up." 

Violet Affleck was 10 years old when her parents announced they planned to divorce. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner went public with the news in 2015 after a representative for the "Good Will Hunting" star denied that he had been romantically involved with their children's nanny. Later, Garner told Vanity Fair that they had been separated for months prior and that the nanny scandal played no part in the couple's decision to divorce. In a shared statement regarding their split published by People, they explained, "We go forward with love and friendship for one another and a commitment to co-parenting our children whose privacy we ask to be respected during this difficult time. This will be our only comment on this private, family matter."

Following the divorce, Garner spoke out about her concern for their children. "Going through it in public is not what's hard, going through it is what's hard," she said of the split during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "... My children's eyes are on me." Still, since going their separate ways, it seems that Garner and Ben have been successfully co-parenting their little ones. You might think that things became complicated after Jennifer Lopez became a stepmom to Violet and her siblings, but it turns out that the transition was fairly smooth. Discussing her new role with Vogue in 2022, the "Hustlers" star suggested their new blended home — of Ben's kids and her own twins — is a happy one. 

Not only are both of Violet Affleck's parents actors, but her stepmom is none other than singer-slash-actor, Jennifer Lopez. Ben Affleck married the superstar four years after his divorce from Jennifer Garner had been finalized. The duo have a long history together as they were one of the biggest celebrity couples of the '00s, but was Violet ready to welcome her new stepmom into the family?

It may have been a huge transition because the teen has always appeared to be incredibly close with her mom. Over the years, Violet has often been snapped out and about with Garner. Additionally, reports claimed that she didn't attend Ben and Lopez's wedding. An unnamed source who spoke to The Post (via Page Six) suggested a potential reason for the teen's alleged decision. "Ben did tell Jen [Garner] about the wedding, but I'm told that it was only Friday at the earliest," they claimed. "It was very, very minimally planned in advance and was largely spur-of-the-moment. Violet stayed home because she's extremely loyal to her mom." If the source's claim is true, it seems that Violet has since grown closer to Lopez. Later that month, the two were spotted lovingly hugging one another in Paris, where Ben's daughter accompanied her dad and new step-mom on their honeymoon. 

As previously mentioned, it appears that Violet Affleck loves to accompany Jennifer Garner on various days out and events. In December 2022, the mother and daughter reminded us how close they are when they attended the White House state dinner for French President Emmanuel Macron. The pair showed up in matching designer dresses, with Affleck sporting a black Carolina Herrera dress decorated with hearts, while Garner wore a black Ralph Lauren gown (above).

The mother-daughter duo were all smiles in photos from the event, and even posed while holding hands — could they get any more adorable? The answer is yes because Garner spoke all about their special bonding time during an interview with Well and Good in 2018. "There are lots of little traditions the kids and I have together," the mom said of Affleck and her siblings. "Right now our blueberry bushes are going nuts, so we sneak down and pick blueberries together on the weekends. But my most valuable time with the kids is bedtime — I have different books going with each of my kids and they each get their own time [with me], even if it has to be condensed!"

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's honeymoon was a family affair because their respective teens actually accompanied them on the Paris trip — Violet and her step-siblings were even snapped going to dinner with the newlyweds. A couple of months later, Violet was also spotted enjoying a shopping trip with Lopez. Photos showed that the two stayed close to one another while out and about, so it seems that they're rather comfortable with each other. 

According to Hollywood Life, insiders alleged that Jennifer Garner is all for her daughter's bond with Lopez. Ahead of the couple's second, larger wedding in Georgia, an anonymous source claimed, "She's been totally supportive of her kids being there and is really positive in general about the whole thing. There is nothing more important to her than her kids' happiness so the fact that they feel welcomed and at ease and have bonded with J.Lo is just the best thing she could ask for." They also clarified that Garner didn't attend Ben and Lopez's wedding because she was busy with work, not because she wasn't a fan of her ex-husband's new relationship.