Violet Affleck, Jennifer Garner And Ben Affleck's Daughter, Spoke Out About Her Health In An Impassioned Speech — Here's What She Said

    "I'm OK now, but I saw firsthand that medicine does not always have answers to the consequences of even minor viruses."

    Mychal Thompson
    by Mychal Thompson

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Violet Affleck is speaking up about her health.

    Jennifer Garner and her daughter, Violet Affleck, are holding hands while wearing elegant evening gowns at a formal event with French flags in the background
    Roberto Schmidt / AFP via Getty Images

    Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's 18-year-old daughter made a rare public appearance on July 9 to speak before the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors about her medical journey and the importance of mask mandates.

    @joaquinlife/x.com

    She spoke during Public Comment, which was an "opportunity for members of the public to address the board on items of interest that are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Board."

    Violet is the eldest of three children of Jennifer and Ben, who married in 2005 and divorced in 2018.

    Steve Granitz / FilmMagic, Unique Nicole / WireImage

    "I contracted a post-viral condition in 2019," Violet said. "I'm OK now, but I saw firsthand that medicine does not always have answers to the consequences of even minor viruses. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown that into sharper relief."

    @joaquinlife/x.com

    "One in 10 infections leads to long COVID," she continued before the board, "which is a devastating neurological and cardiovascular illness that can take away people's ability to work, see, move, and even think."

    The World Health Organization (WHO) defines "Long COVID" as the "continuation or development of new symptoms three months after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection, with these symptoms lasting for at least two months with no other explanation."

    A doctor pointing towards the camera with a stethoscope around the neck. Text overlay reads "LONG COVID"
    Rafmaster / Getty Images

    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 5.3% of all adults in the United States reported having Long COVID as of April 2024. Further data suggested that Long COVID disproportionately affects women and people between the ages of 40 and 59, who have the highest reported rates of the syndrome.

    Violet's address noted that the virus disproportionately affects vulnerable communities beyond these gender and age groups. "It stands to exacerbate our homelessness crisis, as well as the suffering of many people in our city. It hits communities of color, disabled people, elderly people, trans people, and anyone in a public-facing essential job the hardest."

    Row of makeshift tents and belongings under a shaded structure along a sidewalk, with buildings in the background
    Anne Czichos / Getty Images

    "To confront the Long COVID crisis," Violet said, "I demand mask availability, air filtration, and far-UVC lights in government facilities, including jails and detention centers, and mask mandates in county medical facilities."

    @joaquinlife/x.com

    Violet concluded that LA County should provide more testing and oppose mask bans. "They do not keep us safer. They make vulnerable members of our communities less safe and make everyone less able to participate in Los Angeles together."

    Violet Affleck holding it down at the LA County Board of Supervisors demanding mask availability, mask mandates in hospitals, and clean air in all government buildings including jails and detention centers. Go Violet! 😷🍉 pic.twitter.com/B8PN3jl5F6

    — Joaquín Beltrán for a Free Palestine (@joaquinlife) July 10, 2024
    Twitter: @joaquinlife

    Violet's impassioned plea comes not too long after her mother, Jennifer, admitted she couldn't stop crying and was a "wreck" for an entire month ahead of her daughter's high school graduation.

    Jennifer Garner standing outside, wiping tears from her eyes, wearing a cream sweater with a blue lanyard and name tag. Trees and a pathway are in the background
    @jennifer.garner / instagram.com

    In an interview on Today with Hoda & Jenna, Jennifer said sitting alongside her mother, Pat Garner, "I was a wreck the whole month leading up to [Violet's graduation]," she added. "Every awards ceremony, every final, everything, I just cried at everything."

    Jennifer Garner and Patricia Garner sit on a couch. Jennifer wears a floral dress, and Dr. Edith Eger wears a white blazer over a light sweater
    Nbc / Nathan Congleton / NBC via Getty Images

    "I cried on planes trying to think about it," Jennifer added, before revealing: "Then the day of was so happy that there was nothing to be other than just so proud and happy."

    A woman on an airplane wearing a plaid shirt is adjusting her glasses while seated next to an airplane window. She also has an Apple Watch on her wrist
    @jennifer.garner / instagram.com

    Well, we should expect some more tears from Jennifer because Violet's conviction during her address to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is another moment to be proud of.

    Jennifer Garner and her daughter hold hands and smile at a formal event, both in elegant black dresses
    Roberto Schmidt / AFP via Getty Images

    Cheers to the next generation of adults speaking up for what they believe in!

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