There’s a cute story in this week’s National Enquirer about a celebrity doing the right thing and returning a duplicate check for an appearance fee payment that was already astronomical. Ben Affleck allegedly “earned” $250,000 for showing up at the opening for a new casino in South Carolina. His wife Jennifer Garner came too, so I’m hoping that check was for the both of them and not just Ben. Anyway the casino sent them two checks by mistake (maybe something to do with one for Ben, one for Jen) and he sent one back! The casino told the Enquirer that they’re really grateful that Ben was honest because they probably wouldn’t have noticed.
Ben Affleck… was mistakenly sent two $250,000 checks for attending the glitzy grand opening of an $80 million casino at the famed Greenbrier resort. But unlike the shady thief he plays in the smash hit “The Town,” Affleck notified casino officials of the error, and promptly returned one of the $250,000 checks.
“We’re very, very grateful. He’s obviously a very honest guy,” said Jim Justice, the multimillionaire owner of the Greenbrier casino in White Sulpher Springs, W. Va…
An avid poker player, Affleck reportedly didn’t sit down to play a hand. But after [he] returned home, he discovered the casino had sent him not one, but two $250,000 checks for his appearance fee.
“We mistakenly paid him twice,” admitted Justice. “Fortunately, he called us or we never would have caught it.”
[From The National Enquirer, print edition, November 15, 2010]
This is heartwarming and all, but I’m sure Affleck has someone handling his schedule and finances for him who noticed the error. Still, it’s nice. The real story to me is that he was paid a quarter of million just to show up somewhere. You would think that Ben wouldn’t even rate six figures. If you add his wife in there, I get it though. Plus he’s back with a vengeance now that The Town was such a succes.
Kaiser reminded me that Ben is rumored to have a gambling addiction, which is a story that I think was started after he went to rehab for alcohol in 2001.
He’s since won poker tournaments. I remember stories about him dropping tens of thousands gambling – and also being an incredibly generous tipper. While I was doing some googling for this post, I found this touching story about how Affleck granted a dying 21-year-old’s wish to go gambling with him in Vegas last year. Now that’s a more generous act than returning a duplicate check.
he is making it hard to still hate him for the whole bennifer thing.
but that’s ok =)
Good guy.
That’s a lot of money (OK to me 🙂 ) so I am glad he returned it. It shows he has not forgotten how he was probably raised. That is a good thing
I am from South Carolina and this state is poor. I am sure this casino gave money to Nikki Haley, who is going to do nothing for our economy and will ruin whatever good we have left in our public education system. Good on Ben, and his team, but I wish the casino would donate the money to a local charity, public education, or animal and homeless shelters. They obviously wouldn’t miss it and Lord knows the State could put it to good use after Mark Sanford and Jim Demint screwed us so badly.
I’d bet that’s the kind of thing that would eventually catch the eye of the Greenbriar’s accountants.
so, while it is proper of him to return the check before he’s asked to, if he HADN’T returned it, they’d come looking.
He may not be a very good husband, what with all of the cheating rumors, but he does appear to be a stand up guy in other areas.
Hold up, is the Greenbrier in South Carolina? I’d never heard of it so I just googled it. It looks to be in West Virgina (another poor state that could probably use a donation).
I’ve read a few Ben Affleck kindness stories online. One was about him rescuing an elderly couple when their car broke down, apparently he really looked after them…above and beyond.
Why would Ben Affleck need to Paris Hilton himself? Ewww Appearance fee. Like what Snookie and The situation do? LOL ewwww. I pray this isn’t true, I am sure its not because Ben and Jen sightings are rare enough, I am sure there would be at least be one pic of it.
“We mistakenly paid him twice,” admitted Justice. “Fortunately, he called us or we never would have caught it.”
What kind of legit business wouldn’t notice a $250,000.00 accounting error in their books??? Either they have the worst accountants in the world or they are crooked as all hell.
Ok, i might be having a crappy week, but here is my negative slant on it. If he had kept the cheque and the casino figured it out he would have been raked over the coals for stealing. I mean it’s great he gave it back, but he would have known that if he hadn’t given it back and he got caught it would have been a huge deal. And honestly, like he needs another $250,000?
I agree, the casino should give it to charity. If they wouldn’t have missed it the first time, why do they need it?
the 21yo story is the more likable of the two…imo. eventually the casino would’ve realized the error & he would’ve been asked to return the additional check. good pr move by his peeps.
He looks really handsome.
Well, it’s nice that he gave it back, but isn’t that exactly what he should do? Just annoys me when doing the right thing is viewed as something stupendous.
Greenbrier Resort is in West Virginia, not South Carolina.
@Riley~ Where in SC are you? I’m from Charleston & I TOTALLY agree about that bitch Haley. Its too bad that more people are blind to the fact that she is just Sanford in a dress
I knew this had to be written by C/B 🙂
Not surprised that Ben’s a stand-up guy.
Cool! I like him more now.
Ben is a sweetheart.I met him and heard of other people stories and they all say say he’s nice.Never got the reason why people hate him .Because he dated JLo.Who cares really .That’s his business .
You just know that if the extra check had been sent to Lindsay she would have cashed, snorted it and then blamed the casino (!) for being irresponsible.
I find it sad that so many of you people believe this story HELLO!!! This story is from The National Enquirer this magazine is based on lies and half truths.
He must pay his publicist a lot. This story first appeared in one of the WV newspapers last month, nobody really paid any attention to it and now that awards season is starting up here it is again. I’m sure Ben didn’t even know he had been overpaid, his accountant would have realized the mistake and returned the check.
Not questioning his character or integrity, but I have to laugh at the naivety of this tale. To reiterate what others have said, the casino would have noticed the error sooner or later and asked for their money back, otherwise Affleck would have some legal trouble on his hands.
LOVE ANGELINA- There were lots of pictures including the first two of this post. I think almost everyone makes appearances in exchange for a fee. It is really easy money. But $250,000 is a ton of money for an appearance fee. Quarter of a million bucks for taking an all expense paid vacation, sign me up! Now it makes more sense why so many celebrities were there for the opening. It seemed so random at the time.
Nancy- This is a strange story to make up and they have quotes from the owner not just “sources.” Even with the fishy “we never would have known” part it seems highly unlikely they would make up quotes from the owner. This story really makes him sound like a terrible business man though, not at all on top of the finances and the questionable judgment of paying someone that much to show up and have their picture taken. But it works out well for both of them, Ben looks like an honest guy and the casino gets more press.
??
Are we seriously giving the guy credit for returning money that isn’t his? If he had kept it, it would have been stealing. And it’s not like he needs the money!
I mean, I like Ben Affleck well enough, but this doesn’t make him a “stand up guy,” this makes him a normal not stealing guy. If a cashier gives me too much change, I don’t keep the money either and I need it a hell of a lot more than Ben does!
I think it’s far more likely it was sent to his business manager or whoever his paychecks go to, who then returned it. I doubt they mailed to his house and he opened it and saw it, like the story would have us believe.
I’m surprised he gets that much for an appearance, but I’d rather pay someone like him to show up than a no talent idiot like a Kardashian or whatever.
Hey CB, the Greenbrier is in WV, which coincidentally is where Jennifer Garner is from.
the casino has too many money to spend
Isn’t kind of dlist to get an appearance fee? I wouldn’t expect that of Ben.
??
Are we seriously giving the guy credit for returning money that isn’t his? If he had kept it, it would have been stealing. And it’s not like he needs the money!
I really was 🙂 only because so many, celebs and not, do so many obviously stupid things. I won’t list them 🙂
so yeah, he was getting credit from me for not doing a stupid thing, totally unexpected to see people just do the simplest/right thing (return what is not yours) and you are right as are the others that it would’ve eventually be noticed.
At what point do you think Ben Affleck went from being a celebrity to a great American? Married life has worked wonders for him.
Thank you for this story, it made me see him in a new light.
If this story is true which I doubt it is coming from The National Enquirer, then I think you guys are giving this guy way to much credit if he or his people didn’t give the money back it would have been stealing and could you imagine the field day the tabloids would have with that story.
Very good of him to return the money. I’m not sure why there are comments against him earning an appearance fee – everyone does including Bristol Palin, Mama Palin, Paris, etc.
that’s pretty awesome.
fuck all this. it would take me years to earn 250k. fuck em all
I forgot to pay for two toothbrushes and a knob of ginger WEEKS ago and I keep going back to that store. I am such a lunatic.
When does Ben Affleck ever do daddy duty? He needs to take a class from Brad Pitt, instead of the casino’s he should spend more time with his kids.
I read about this also 2 weeks ago.
Ben went to The Greenbrier Casino in
West Virginia with his wife Jennifer Garner. I’m sure she got paid for the appearance as well. Ben probably wouldn’t have gone if it wasn’t for Jennifer being from WV. The casino was claiming for months before the Opening that fellow West Virginian, Home Town Girl makes good, movie star Jennifer Garner was going to be there. Ben wasn’t added to list of celebrities until a couple days before the Opening. (Ben probably donated the money to one of the charities he supports). Ben said Jen”s entire family was there at the hotel and it was a sort of a family reunion for them which was really nice.
I’ve always liked Ben. Not because of his looks, although he isn’t bad at all, but he’s smart, well spoken and has a pretty good sense of humor. And you gotta admit he makes the cutest kids.
@Bodhi – Charleston in the house! Best city in the world.
Yeah, when I first read this I was like, was he in N. Charleston for the gamling boat?! HA! Def. no major casinos around here.
@LT ~ Right?! God knows he wouldn’t have been able to play poker anywhere around here; he’d land in jail with that open-container tourist from awhile back!
Now if he would only return his wife as well.
it is surprising when someone returns *money* that isn’t theirs. serioiusly.
got back $10 too much at starbucks and the barista looked at me like i had two heads when i told her she gave me too much.
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