Ben Affleck said he had compassion for Britney Spears, who was under intense paparazzi scrutiny
“Having had my own experiences myself,” he explained that he understood what she was going through
Affleck is no stranger to dealing with the paparazzi and has opened up about his frustrations with them in the past
Ben Affleck understands all too well the stress that celebrities deal with as they are followed by the paparazzi.
The Accountant 2 star, 52, shared on the April 24 episode of the This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von podcast that he particularly had compassion for what Britney Spears, 43, had to go through at the peak of the paparazzi frenzy.
“A long time ago, years and years ago, I really had a lot of empathy for Britney Spears because I remember it seemed like — I mean [she’s] not someone I knew or hung out with — but just like everybody else you see all this s— that comes through,” Affleck recalled.
He continued, “But having had my own experiences myself, I knew these are people who are following her around at a time where she may or may not have been having difficulty.”
Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Britney Spears attends Pre-GRAMMY Gala and Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Debra Lee at The Beverly Hilton on February 11, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.
Related: Ben Affleck Credits Tom Brady for Giving Him His ‘Greatest’ Day ‘Aside from the Birth’ of His Children
The actor said that he didn’t “know” what Spears was dealing with at the time since he didn’t “know her,” but he did understand “the cycle of having people harangue you and yell at you and hassle you and follow you” to create “a tizzy.”
He likened that sort of behavior to someone “poking a stick” to purposefully irritate others and noted that having paparazzi is still a “weird” thing, especially when they try to get a negative reaction from a celebrity.
The PEOPLE App is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more!
“That’s the first time I thought this is kind of a weird, unintentional — I think culturally — but kind of collective cruelty where what’s taken out of the image that you see are the people around waving the stick at the tiger or poking on it or whatever and all you see is the growling animal or whatever it is,” Affleck explained.
“But like a part of that is because somebody’s coming around and hitting on it or whatever to make it get active and that’s when you think, ‘Okay, this is not really news, it’s not even real. It’s not what would be happening if this effect wasn’t taking place,’ ” he added.
Kevin Winter/Getty
Ben Affleck attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Amazon MGM Studios “The Accountant 2” at TCL Chinese Theatre on April 16, 2025 in Hollywood, California.
The Air actor is no stranger to having paparazzi photos taken of him — even unflattering ones — and has opened up about his frustrations with them in the past. Last year, he addressed the fact that paparazzi often take angry photos of him on Peacock’s Hart to Heart.
Related: Ben Affleck Is ‘Done Talking About’ Jennifer Lopez After Breaking Silence on Divorce (Exclusive Source)
“I also don’t like a lot of attention,” he shared at the time. “That’s why people see me and they’re like, ‘Why’s this dude always mad?’ Because somebody has their camera and sticks it in my face and I’m like, ‘Okay, here we go.’ “
He also noted that many times paparazzi photos are taken when “I’m with my kids.” The actor shares three children with his ex Jennifer Garner — Violet Anne, 19, Seraphina Rose, 16, and Samuel, 13. Affleck also is close with ex-wife Jennifer Lopez’s children — Emme and Maximilian, 17.
“I don’t mind you taking my picture about a club, a premiere, whatever. My wife, I don’t give a f—. Go ahead. Knock yourself out. I don’t notice you,” he said, adding, “My children, that’s a different thing.”
Read the original article on People
