Why the FBI Really Showed Up at Ben Affleck's House

Ben Affleck opened his own investigation—into himself.

In the aftermath of the Los Angeles wildfires on January 11, when the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) unexpectedly dropped by my residence, I must admit that I too found myself taken aback by the subsequent global headlines.

Ben clarified to GQ in an article dated March 25th that the FBI had indeed paid a visit to his home. ‘Upon arriving home,’ he said, ‘I noticed there was a report claiming the FBI was at my residence. I found this odd because it was true.’

The 52-year-old, who has children Violet (age 19), Seraphina (age 15), and Samuel (age 13) with his ex Jennifer Garner, discussed that although he initially learned about the visit from news reports, he took it upon himself to investigate the matter thoroughly.

Ben recounted, “I asked them, ‘Hello, FBI? Was it you who dropped by my place? Fancy a chat?’ The operators I spoke to initially were clueless about the visit. Eventually, someone from the responsible team responded, ‘Oh, we had no idea that was your residence.’

It seems that Ben lives next to a federal official whose home was burglarized during the Los Angeles fires, coincidentally at the same time as photographs were taken showing FBI agents interrogating neighbors in the vicinity.

In simpler terms, Ben said that the FBI went to various homes and used doorbells as a means of notification. However, since photographers were stationed outside and agents were wearing their FBI jackets, it became evident that ‘The FBI had visited your house.’ He clarified that he himself was unaware of this incident until later when he investigated and gathered more information.

As a die-hard fan, let me share that even Ben clarified the misconceptions spread earlier, debunking reports from the FBI themselves who communicated to TopMob News in January that they were investigating unauthorized drone activity related to the Palisades fire.

It seems that wasn’t related to what you thought, Ben clarified. In reality, we were quite distant from the location of the drone.

Indeed, throughout his long career, Ben has encountered numerous misconceptions. One of them, humorously addressed, was the notion that Matt Damon, his friend, possesses the same intellectual prowess as his character from the 1997 film “Good Will Hunting.

As Ben joked, “Matt’s math skills, I am pretty sure, are very far from genius level.”

Regrettably, it seems that Ben shares a comparable experience with his Chuckie Sullivan persona.

In retrospect, when we filmed that movie, I hadn’t anticipated that viewers would largely presume that I embodied those characters. As a matter of fact, it was quite effortless to persuade others because it was my debut on screen, and they naturally associated me with the role I played. [GQ interview]

One aspect that rings true in the movie “Good Will Hunting” is the genuine camaraderie shown between Ben and Matt.

Keep reading for the pals’ most iconic—and real—moments throughout their careers…

As a lifestyle expert, I’d put it this way: In the critically acclaimed film “Good Will Hunting,” I, Matt Damon, portrayed a troubled prodigy named Will, alongside my long-time friend, Ben Affleck, who played Chuckie, my devoted childhood companion. This groundbreaking movie garnered nine Oscar nominations, recognizing its excellence in various categories such as Best Picture, Best Actor for myself, Best Supporting Actor for the legendary Robin Williams, and Best Original Screenplay.

1998 sees an intensification of the awards buzz with Ben and Matt gracing the red carpet at the Golden Globe Awards, where their film “Good Will Hunting” garnered four nominations, causing a celebration.

Affleck and Damon stand proudly with their initial Golden Globe awards, which they received in 1997 for the Best Screenplay of “Good Will Hunting.” Affleck claimed another win in 2013, this time for his directorial efforts on “Argo,” and Damon followed suit in 2016, taking home the prize for Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) thanks to his work in “The Martian.

Affleck and Damon, winners of Best Original Screenplay, don’t forget to pay tribute to their influential childhood town that played a significant role in inspiring the very first script they co-wrote, titled “Good Will Hunting.

Damon and Affleck relish their Oscar win in 1998.

In the year 1998, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were proudly accompanied by their mothers, Chris Affleck and Nancy Carlsson-Paige, as their respective dates to the Oscars.

Damon and Affleck teamed up as fallen angels Loki and Bartleby in Kevin Smith‘s 1999 comedy Dogma.

Matt and Ben dress down in Miami Beach in 2006.

In the year 2006, Damon stood by his friend at a showing of the movie “Hollywoodland.” This film featured Affleck portraying George Reeves, the sorrowful actor famed for playing Superman in the television series from the 1950s.

In the year 2005, these two friends tied the knot, and they had a fantastic time together in Miami Beach during a night out in 2008. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, who share three kids, parted ways in 2015 before their divorce was finalized in 2018. Matt Damon and his wife Luciana, the proud parents of four daughters, will be celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary in December 2020.

Matt and Ben hang out, ’cause that’s what they do.

Of course, Affleck joined other celebrities who both celebrated (and teased) Damon when he received the American Cinematheque Award in 2010.

Ben jokingly mentioned that it’s also a significant evening for him since they both began together.

They always look ready for a marathon poker tournament.

In 2014, friends rejoiced over the comeback of Project Greenlight, their HBO show that helps independent films get made, after a decade-long absence.

At the 2014 premiere of “Manchester by the Sea,” Affleck was present to lend support to his brother Casey Affleck and honorary brother Damon. The film, co-produced by both Affleck and Damon, later earned Casey an Oscar for Best Actor, although he infamously forgot to acknowledge Ben during his acceptance speech, which resulted in a humorous incident.

Affleck and Damon attended the premiere of Project Greenlight’s fourth season winner, The Leisure Class, in 2015 to lend their support.

2016 saw me, an over-the-moon fan, jumping at the chance to witness Ben Affleck and Matt Damon slip back into their iconic roles as Chuckie and Will for a live staging of “Good Will Hunting”. To make this event even more unforgettable, they invited some extraordinary friends to join. John Krasinski lent his voice as our narrator, Emily Blunt brought Skylar to life, Keegan-Michael Key took on the role of Billy, and Margo Martindale stepped into the mighty shoes once worn by Robin Williams, brilliantly portraying Dr. Maguire.

20 years ago, Damon and Affleck both auditioned for the role of Robin when Tim Burton was directing Batman films, but didn’t get the part. Now, however, Damon is thrilled that Affleck has been cast as the Caped Crusader in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and subsequent DC Universe movies. The character of Robin appeared later on in Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever.

As a connoisseur of all things stylish and cinematic, I found myself delighting in the nostalgic reunion of Affleck and Damon at the 2017 Oscars. This duo, who had triumphed together 19 years prior with their momentous win, took to the stage once more to present the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. A delightful throwback indeed!

Here, everyone was just as astonished to discover that “Moonlight” had indeed won the title of Best Picture, rather than “La La Land”.

Matt and Ben enjoy a night out with fellow Boston sports nut Bill Simmons.

The lifelong Red Sox fans got emotional celebrating their team’s 2018 World Series title.

Affleck and Damon attended the 2021 Venice Film Festival to support their latest joint screenplay effort, “The Last Duel”, which marks their first collaboration since “Good Will Hunting”.

The founders of Artists Equity are thrilled about the debut of their first studio production, Air, at SXSW in March 2023. This uplifting tale is based on real events and features Damon portraying Sonny Vaccaro, a forward-thinking Nike representative who successfully persuaded Michael Jordan, then a rookie, to sign with the company in 1984 by convincing his mother (played by Viola Davis) that they were the perfect match for her son. Affleck takes on the role of Phil Knight, Nike’s founder.

A bazillion pairs of Air Jordans sold later…

Apart from sharing the screen and serving as a producer, the film “Air” also represents Ben Affleck’s initial directorial collaboration with Matt Damon.

He’s an exceptionally talented director, everyone knows this,” said Damon, excitedly speaking to TopMob News during the movie’s L.A. premiere. “It was truly a pleasure collaborating with him, and I can’t wait to work together again in the near future.

In March 2025, the star from Mars (figuratively speaking) graced the SXSW premiere of his producing partner’s latest movie titled “The Accountant 2”. While there, he also decided to show off a more extended version of his beard.

2025-03-25 23:17

Why the FBI Really Showed Up at Ben Affleck’s House

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