Ben Affleck reveals what was really said during apparent ‘disagreement’ with Jennifer Lopez at Grammys

‘And I’ve gone to events and been pissed off. I’ve gone and been bored,’ actor admits after his miserable expressions at Grammys became a meme

Amber Raiken
New York
Thursday 16 March 2023 16:18 GMT
Comments
Related: Ben Affleck appears to look bored at the Grammys

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Ben Affleck has revealed what was really said during his apparent disagreement with wife Jennifer Lopez at the Grammys last month.

The 50-year-old reflected on becoming meme during the awards ceremony due to his seemingly unenthusiastic and miserable facial expressions, and rumours that the couple had been arguing during a tense exchange caught on camera, during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, where he noted that, despite how he looked, he and his spouse had a nice evening together.

“I had a good time at the Grammys,” Affleck explained. “My wife was going, and I thought: ‘Well, there’ll be good music. It might be fun.’ At movie award shows, it’s speeches and, like, sound-mixing webinars. But I thought this would be fun.”

The Gone Girl star then addressed another viral moment of him and Lopez during the event, where they appeared to be having a disagreement. In the televised clip, it captured the moment the couple realised that Grammys host Trevor Noah was there and that the camera was on them, at which point they’d turned their attention towards the comedian.

Speaking to THR, Affleck clarified what he was actually talking to Lopez about during what many assumed was a tense moment, and how she’d responded to him.

“I was like: ‘Oh, God.’ They were framing us in this shot, but I didn’t know they were rolling,” he recalled about the moment Noah sat next to him. “I leaned into her and I was like: ‘As soon they start rolling, I’m going to slide away from you and leave you sitting next to Trevor.’ She goes: ‘You better f***ing not leave.’ That’s a husband-and-wife thing.”

He went on to explain why he felt confused at the awards show, continuing: “I mean, some of it is, I’m like: ‘All right, who is this act?’ Like, I don’t keep up. My wife does, obviously. And yeah, it is your wife’s work event.”

The actor also acknowledged that his unimpressed facial expressions have been captured during important occasions before.

“And I’ve gone to events and been pissed off. I’ve gone and been bored. I’ve gone to award shows and been drunk, a bunch. Nobody ever once said I’m drunk,” he added.

However, he pointed out that, at the Grammys, fans assumed that he was drunk when he actually wasn’t. According to Affleck, the speculation was “interesting,” as it made him reconsider how vocal he should be about his alcoholism.

“That raises a whole other thing about whether or not it’s wise to acknowledge addiction because there’s a lot of compassion, but there is still a tremendous stigma, which is often quite inhibiting,” he added. “I do think it disincentivises people from making their lives better.”

During the Grammys last month, fans were quick to assume that Affleck and Lopez were fighting after they were captured looking “annoyed” with each other.

However, the Marry Me star seemingly hit back at the speculation when she posted photos and videos of her and her husband at the awards show on Instagram. “Always the best time with my love, my husband,” she wrote in the caption.

Following the Grammys, Lopez also poked fun at her husband’s unimpressed facial expressions on Instagram, where she shared a still from Affleck’s movie Air, in which he could be seen with a furrowed brow. “My husband’s happy face,” the singer jokingly wrote in a text caption on the post, which included a trailer for the movie.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in