Ben Affleck breaks silence on both his parents’ recent deaths

By Page Six | Created at 2026-09-30 20:24:44 | Updated at 2026-09-30 23:39:36 5 hours ago

See more of our coverage in your search results.

Ben Affleck addressed the recent deaths of his parents, Timothy Affleck and Chris Anne Affleck, for the first time in a new interview with Kerry Washington.

“My parents just died, both of them. In April and June,” Ben, 54, told his “Animals” co-star on Wednesday’s episode of her “Street You Grew Up On” podcast.

“So I’ve been just like, you know, not just now or anything, but it’s just sort of a big thing.”

Ben Affleck broke his silence on his parents Timothy Affleck and Chris Anne Affleck’s recent deaths on Kerry Washington’s podcast. Street You Grew Up On
Ben (seen here) said, “My parents just died, both of them. In April and June.” Street You Grew Up On

Chris Anne died on June 2 at age 83 after a six-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

Meanwhile, Timothy’s death at age 76 was confirmed by his other son, Casey, earlier this month during a press conference at the Venice International Film Festival.

Ben explained on the podcast that losing his parents “caused me to start thinking about my own childhood in ways that have been a little bit different.”

Ben’s mom Chris (both seen here in 2019) died in June at age 83 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. GC Images
Ben’s dad Timothy (both seen above) died earlier this year at age 76. / SplashNews.com
Ben’s brother Casey (both pictured above in 2007) confirmed their dad’s passing at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month. Getty Images

“I’ve certainly learned to sort of even more deeply appreciate my mom and really value and see what she did and what the sacrifice and commitment that she made and how complete it was,” the Oscar winner said of Chris Anne, who taught public school kids for 35 years before retiring in 2008.

Ben said that after his mom’s death, he read letters that she wrote to her parents when she was younger, which gave him more insight into her life.

“First off, it’s this young woman, full of life and ambition and dreams,” he shared, noting Chris Anne wrote about wanting to be a teacher and going to Mississippi for protests.

Ben (seen here with his mom in 2002) said on Washington’s podcast that his parents’ deaths prompted him to think about his childhood. MediaNews Group via Getty Images
The “Argo” actor (seen here with Chris in 2004) said he read letter that his mom wrote to her parents when she was younger. Getty Images

“It was really fascinating,” he continued. “But of course, the thing that struck me was this has nothing to do with me. This woman had her own whole life for 30 years that had zero to do with me.”

Ben said all he knew about Chris Anne was that she “made me and my brother the absolute most important center of her life” — until he read her letters.

“She was, I mean, gorgeous and smart and thoughtful and passionate. I just thought this woman’s amazing and she could do anything,” he said, adding, “She worked really hard, and she came home and did everything.”

Ben (seen above with Chris at the 1998 Miramax Oscars Party) said the letters gave him a new perspective about his mom. Bei/Shutterstock
“This woman had her own whole life for 30 years that had zero to do with me,” Ben said about Chris (both seen above at the “Jersey Girl” premiere afterparty in 2004). WireImage for Coyne PR

The “Gone Girl” actor also admitted that he realized he “had taken for granted” how much his mom did for him and his brother.

“Probably in a way that she wants, in a way I want my children to take for granted,” he said. “She did that so thoroughly and effectively over her whole life, that I didn’t even see her in a way as her own whole person apart from me. And it blew me away.”

Chris Anne and Timothy married in the early 1970s and divorced in 1984, when Ben and Casey were preteens.

Ben and Casey were raised by their parents in Cambridge, Massachusetts (Timothy is seen here). / SplashNews.com
Timothy and Chris got divorced in 1984, when Ben and Casey (seen here in 2008) were preteens. Getty Images

The former couple raised their sons — who both went on to become actors —  in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Ben is a dad to three children, Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17, and Sam, 14, from his marriage to his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner.

On the other hand, Casey, 51, has two adult children, Indiana, 22, and Atticus, 18, with his ex-wife, Summer Phoenix.

Welcome to the Page Six Community!

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space.

In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience.

Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will/might be rejected if it contains:

  • Spam
  • Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language and threats of any kind
  • Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author

User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice:

  • Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
  • Racist, sexist, or homophobic comments
  • Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk

So, how can you be a power user?

  • Stay on topic and share your passion. Feel free to elaborate to get your point across.
  • 'Like' or 'Dislike' when you are filled with emotions!
  • Protect your community. Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Don't forget, freedom of speech is not the freedom of reach!

Read Entire Article