Ben Affleck has a new interview in Playboy, the one with Kate Moss on the cover. I’m trying to figure out what Ben is promoting. The interview was conducted right after it was announced that Ben is the new Batman, so I guess it’s taken a while to go to print and Ben is trying to explain himself and his career trajectory. It’s a very extensive interview with a chatty open tone, and Ben comes across well. He’s thoughtful and hardworking, and he wants to prove himself to both the audience and the power players in Hollywood. At least that’s my interpretation of what he’s saying here. I’ll just excerpt some of the more interesting quotes, but there’s so much more and the article is well worth reading in it’s entirety.
On Batman backlash
I expected that reaction. Warner Bros. told me, “You should know what you’re getting into.” They showed me the reactions to other folks who had been cast in these roles. They said this is how it tends to play out initially.On proving himself in Hollywood
I’ve learned to think, I may succeed or fail, but I’m going to do so on the merit of my own instincts. It’s a great business in that way. You do a movie that’s successful, you get a little victory lap, and then you start at the beginning; you have to prove yourself all over again.On what the Oscar means to him
There had been plenty of moments when I didn’t know where I was going to end up. I had been kicked around some and maybe left for dead. I’m not a great believer in awards and the idea that some movie is best, because it’s subjective. But standing there at the Academy Awards eased some of the pain and frustration I’d been carrying.On how Garner helped him revitalize his career
My wife was definitely around then. Getting to know her, falling in love with her and being connected with her gave me a foundation to reach out and say, Okay, I’m going to do Hollywoodland; I’m going to direct Gone Baby Gone. Those were the steps forward I needed to put positive stuff on the board. She is by leaps and bounds the most important person to me in that respect. Over the past 10 years she has allowed me to have a stable home life while accomplishing my professional goals.On the fallback from his failed relationship with J.Lo
The crucible by flashbulb. It was magazines then, and those days are more or less gone. Now it’s online, but it’s the same thing. At the nadir of that I felt I was being treated worse than Scott Peterson, who at least got the benefit of the word alleged when they talked about him.On how his children are hounded by the paparazzi
You can say what you want about me. You can yell at me with a video camera and be TMZ. You can follow me around and take pictures all you want. I don’t care. There are a couple of guys outside right now. Terrific. That’s part of the deal. But it’s wrong and disgusting to follow children around and take their picture and sell it for money. It makes the kids less safe. They used to take pictures of our children coming out of preschool, and so this stalker who had threatened to kill me, my wife and our kids showed up at the school and got arrested. I mean, there are real practical dangers to this.On how a stalker slipped in with the paparazzi
He was in the pack of paparazzi. They didn’t know he was a guy who was threatening to murder our family. That makes me angry. It’s a safety thing, and there’s also a sanity thing. My kids aren’t celebrities. They never made that bargain. We were offered a lot of money to sell pictures of our kids when they were born. You’ll notice there aren’t any. I make no judgment about people who decide differently; a lot of them give the money to charity. For me it was a matter of principle. I didn’t want someone to be able to come back and say I was complicit, that it wasn’t a question of principle as much as price.His solution to the paparazzi problem with kids
As their father it’s my job to protect them from that stuff. I try my very best, and sometimes I’m successful. The tragic thing is, people who see those pictures naturally think it’s sweet. They don’t see the gigantic former gang member with a huge lens standing over a four-year-old and screaming to get the kid’s attention. The kids are always looking down because they’re freaked out and scared of these people. And so they yell. Which is fine if you’re Lindsay Lohan coming out of a club, or me or any adult. With kids it’s tasteless at best. A lot of these photographs are being bought by legitimate magazines. In the U.K. they have a good system: If you take a kid’s picture, you have to blur out the face. It protects the privacy of children, any child. I wish we would do that here, though I don’t expect it. When my wife met with California lawmakers to get legislation passed to establish a certain distance between paparazzi and children and also to prevent the stalking behavior on the part of the paparazzi, she was opposed by the association of magazine and newspaper folks. They said it would have a chilling effect on the way the news was covered. You couldn’t chill the internet coverage of celebrities if you tried.I think the First Amendment and the public’s right to know are adequately served by photographers who are at least 100 feet away. They all have 300-millimeter lenses. I’m a photographer myself, and I can tell you with complete confidence that you can get a fine picture. I understand we won’t be able to prevent them from taking photos of children or get them to blur the faces, even though I think that would be preferable. But at the very least there should be a bubble of safety. We do that at football games: You can’t just come on the field. We do that with politicians: You can’t photograph the president from any distance you want.
On The Sum of All Fears
I met Morgan Freeman, which was great because I was able to ask him to work for free when we did Gone Baby Gone. We shot The Sum of All Fears in Montreal, and it almost killed me. That town never closes. The food is amazing, the drink is amazing, the girls are gorgeous. It’s not a place to focus on your work.On how he sees failure as opportunity
No, it’s something else. Look at Daredevil. That’s where I found my wife. We met on Pearl Harbor, which people hate, but we fell in love on Daredevil. By the way, she won most of the fights in the movie, which was a pretty good predictor of what would happen down the road—my wife, holding swords and beating the living shit out of me.On getting into trouble as a young actor
I wasn’t married. I showed up in Hollywood, and all of a sudden girls were talking to me. I thought, Wow, what changed? So I had a lot of girlfriends and a lot of fun. I definitely ran around, and I hit the wall a few times and made some mistakes. But that’s part of a young man growing up.
That seems like a lot of quotes, but it’s only a small portion of the interview. Affleck also discussed his thoughts on politics, his charity work, almost every movie he’s done, and his friendship with Matt Damon. Of course the section where he’s talking about the paparazzi is getting the most attention. It’s something that Garner has spoken about occasionally, and as Ben mentioned she campaigned along with Halle Berry to have anti-paparazzi legislation passed in California. I have to give Garner and Affleck credit. They deal with this on a daily basis but they very rarely complain, and their main concern is their kids. Sure you can accuse them of using the paparazzi for publicity, but it sounds like they don’t have a choice at this point. Ben’s solution, to give a 100 feet distance to children, seems practical and possible.
Affleck has been consistent in explaining about how his wife saved him, how he credits her with his career resurgence, and how he still sees their marriage as difficult and work. That’s honest and upfront, but I still wish he would gush about her a little more, instead of describing their relationship as a kind of springboard for his career. It sounds very self centered.
Here are Garner and Affleck out on 11-29 and out with their kids on 12-8. Credit: FameFlynet
Except when you are calling them and making the effort to sell your family life before the release of a movie, then it’s ok.
*eye roll*
I do not think children should be stalked or baited BUT the most photographed kids are the Jolie/ Pitts and you don’t see Pitt or Jolie whining and squawking about their kids pictures being taken.
I knew someone would say this so I wouldn’t have to. ha!
The hypocrisy is just beyond…these two made their kids into stars. I don’t even know what Julia Roberts kids look like.
I don’t know what many celeb kids look like. There are lots of big names out there who you never see their kids and it isn’t because people aren’t interested in those celebrities it is because those celebrities did not sell their family to the press for an image.
Seems the celebs who do the most bitching are the ones who have long courted the press during Oscar time or movie releases.
That’s exactly what I was thinking Eliza. Who the hell is Jen Garner that makes her kids so much more important than Hugh Jackman’s kids or Matt Damons kids for that matter? Same thing with Halle, she’s not that special and I’m sure they arrange most of their pap shots when it’s beneficial for them. I guess once they open the flood gates it was too late to close it. Their kids were being paped at one time more than Brad and Angies brood.
Actually I see Hugh Jackmans kids and SJP’s kids several times a week.Also Naomi and Lievs kids on celebrity baby sites.There is very little correlation between baby pics sold and paparazzi attn.Brook Sheilds sold pics yet no interest in her kids.Affleck pics weren’t sold.Affleck kids are papd every week ,they are not promoting something every week.Check the archives of celebrity baby sites they are papd because they are attractive and have routine schedules.
Kim1: You usually see SJP’s kids on their way to school. So that is a very typical routine and the paps know the times/places, as could anyone who wanted to follow SJP and her routine. I highly doubt those celebs are calling the paps because the ones you mention live and are photographed in NY, which is probably an easier place to get pics because people walk around a lot.
@Kim! What you are saying does not make much sense. Are you saying Ben’s and Jen kids are paped more because they are much cuter than the other kids. That’s funny. Like I said on another thread, Goop is more popular than Garner and her kids are not paped as much . Yes, and Goop also has a routine with her kids, so it wouldn’t be that hard. Jen calls the paps and there is nothing that is going to make me and some other people feel any different about it. Also the other celebs are not bitching about it the way Jen and Halle are. They carry on with their lives regardless.
“Except when you are calling them and making the effort to sell your family life before the release of a movie, then it’s ok.”
Took the words right out of my mouth.
Call me a cynic, but I find it VERY difficult to believe that a good number of those pics aren’t set up. And once you open the Pandora’s box that is the papparazzi, you can’t close it again easily.
There are plenty of A-list celebs with kids whom we don’t see on a regular basis. So there has to be some collusion on his and his wife’s part in getting the kids out there regularly.
That being said, there should be laws about how close the paps can get to children.
I was going to say the same. Thank you!
@eliza
Brad used to regularly ask the paps to stay back and use long lenses. I don’t know if he still does that.
Yes, but he and Angelina are not crying about how it is awful and heading to Capital Hill over it.
Asking the paps to stay bavk and use long lenses is not the same as whining about it.
You know, I think comparing the Afflecks to the Joile-Pitts may not be the best comparison. Afflecks live in LA year round, use their own cars, have a routine, in general are pretty easy to track even without calling. JP’s live all over the country, have very little routine and actively work to avoid the paps (I remember an interview where Pitt talked about how they always rent cars for privacy because if they used a car they owned, they would be easier to track) and still get photographed regularly. I imagine they must have expended an tremendous amount of effort to keep Jolie’s surgery under wraps. Afflecks aren’t going to do that. His point about distance is fair and valid imo.
I’ve heard a lot of people say this, but I’ve never seen any proof that those paparazzi pics were set up. even if they were, there’s a huge difference between a friendly paparazzi setup where they were invited, and somebody hovering over your children and screaming in their faces and scaring them. everyone immediately starts going on about biting the hand that feeds you, but I don’t see them the same thing at all.
I’m just saying if I have a good relationship with a plumber and I invite him over to do some work, it doesn’t mean that I also invited a dozen of his pals to come over and scream at me and my kids. it’s not all good just because I wanted one plumber to come over and fix my sink. if they are using paparazzi setups it’s probably because they know those pictures are going to get taken anyway and I’d rather saturate the market with a photographer who’s not an asshole.
Eliza–that’s exactly what I was thinking. If he didn’t want his children photographed then they wouldn’t be.
Came here just to say this. Thank you!
@eliza Maybe Brad and Angie should be heading to Capital Hill over it. Maybe if they did some actual laws would be pasted to prevent all of these celebrity children from being terrified on a regular basis.
But Brad and Angie won’t, because they eat the attention up 24/7.
24/7 damn that is a lot.
But then when they are in LA you very seldom see them. There are more pics when they are out of the Country. But of course you make this about them. So now Brad and Angie need to go to the capital and support laws because why? they seem to deal with it and try to protect their children. They are criticizing any one else. But man lets be negative about them when they have nothing to do with this post. AT ALL
but hey some people cant’ resist the urge to be negative about them. Even when they are not a part of the story.
I always get a chuckle when people say that the Jolie-Pitts are the most photographed kids. They have been photographed a bit in Australia but usually they are not. Usually they aren’t seen for months and then maybe once or twice a month. Other kids, like the Afflecks and Stefani-Rosdales are photographed everyday on a lot of sites. The difference is more sites post and make a bigger deal when the Jolie-Pitts kids are seen.
I think Ben is hypocritical. It’s a running joke on some sites that Jennifer is a single mother since he’s rarely seen with the kids. Then during the Oscar campaign Ben was constantly seen with the kids(although I don’t buy that family photos increases votes). I remember Ben actually sought out the paps so his kids could sell cookies/lemonade to them. He also usually chats with the paps with and without the kids. With the paps you can’t give them an inch and then complain. I know people say they have a routine but is it really necessary to take the kids to Starbucks or the Farmer’s Market everyday? I just think Jennifer makes herself and the kids an easy target.
I like Jen and Ben as a couple, even though Ben is a typical male who can’t string a compliment for his wife together without making it about himself! His heart is in the right place!
I didn’t know about the stalker though. That would be scary and I don’t blame him for being a tad upset.
I don’t think Ben is a typical male, Secret Squirrel. I think a lot more of men than that.
Guys in general are not self centered; they come in all flavors, just like us!
Ha ha. Must just be the men I attract then. I’ll have to broaden my horizons!
In an interview with a magazine that has photographs exploiting women, Ben Affleck makes comments about photographs exploiting children.
You have a point there. At least the women in Playboy are adults who made a conscious descision to participate.
In some cases, Mercy, these young women didn’t have much of a chance. Ben’s girls have all the privilege to keep them off the stripper pole.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tojBadSr2zI – Chris Rock’s job is to keep his baby girl off the pole
@Sloane,
From what I know of Playboy (which admittedly isn’t a lot), I’m not sure I would compare it to the stripper pole or porn. I mean, Kate Moss just did a cover. But it is definitely sexist, imo.
It’s funny you mention the stripper pole. I went to university with a girl who worked as a stripper. She came from a normal background – no abuse or anything like that – and her family was upper middle class. She was a pretty girl who liked showing off and was very proud of making a lot of money by herself. I’m sure she’s not the norm, though.
It’s common knowledge that Playboy girls are escorts. – http://www.celebitchy.com/81996hollywood_madam_many_of_hugh_hefners_girlfriends_were_my_prostitutes/
He’s right about blurring out the kids faces.
I loathe looking at pictures where it’s obvious the children are terrified; I also no longer buy magazines and haven’t for years (though clearly my inclination to this site shows I’m still nosy, lol).
As for how he describes his wife, I think it’s nice….
He’s giving her the credit for his success and attributing his happiness to the sacrifices she has made, not a lot of partners do that.
That’s how I read his comments too. For some men, success in the workforce is extremely important to them and how they base their self-worth. He strikes me as that kind of man so to attribute his success to her is the biggest compliment he could give her. I think he has made some gaffes at times when talking about her but this really shows just how much he respects her.
I just did not get that impression. I felt more that he was saying that because his wife is a domestic and devoted to his utter happiness and every whim but that’s gave him the freedom to go out and follow his professional dreams. That doesn’t sound very complementary to me.
I mean it would be like Ward Cleaver thinking June Cleaver for making such wonderful pot roast thing keeping the house clean so we could go out and earn money. I might be reading it wrong but it doesn’t seem like he can focus on her as a whole, actualized person. Maybe because she gave up her career and exchange for being a wife and mother.
I think the only difference is the fact that Jennifer actually wanted to be a wife and mom. She does some movies from time to time but I think she really relishes her role as a family oriented woman. There’s nothing wrong with that for sure but it is her husband’s job to see her as more than just the great wife and mom.
He didn’t say she’s devoted to his every whim. He said she gave him a stable home life that allowed him to soar. She grounds him. As you said, I’m not sure she’s giving up something she wants anymore. I used to be a teacher. It was my career. Then I had children and I didn’t want to be a teacher. I wanted to be a mother. My husband supported that completely. He is self-employed. My staying home makes it much easier for me to support him completely. It is a great symbiotic relationship for us. We are both getting what we want. If I decide to go back to work someday, he’ll support that too. Maybe that’s why I read Ben’s comment the way I did.
I get what he’s saying, and it is wrong for the paps to attack the kids BUT the parents shouldn’t use them during awards season either. Matt Damon lives down the street from them but you hardly ever see his girls. I dunno, I guess my point is you can’t invite them in and then sh-t on them because they showed up.
Matt has said the paps aren’t interested in them so much because he’s married to an average person and he’s middle-aged now, longtime married. Jenn is married to Ben, so they are considered a high profile couple and photo and thus take her photos a lot with the kids. When Luciana is out, nobody really cares. No one has ever even heard her talk. Not a lot of interest probaably with their photos so take less and less. When they lived in NY, I would see some photos of them or airports.
There’s still plenty of photos of them out and about over the years, just far less than Jenn and Benn’s kids.. They just aren’t posted on here for some reason.
Matt and Gia November – http://www.justjared.com/2013/11/08/matt-damon-pacific-palisades-with-gia/
http://www.celebritybabyscoop.com/2012/07/02/matt-damon-lunch-with-his-gals
Those pics look like random pics, not something Damon or his wife have staged. Affleck/ Garner pics always look up close and clear, almost like they are posing for the paps.
@Blue Marie: I think the Affleck’s get it more than the Damon’s due to Ben’s wondering…. eyes. That “invites” scandal, and thus, more people are interested. Matt is the quintessential boring dad/husband. If neither of these men were famous, it’d still be Ben et al. that was getting gossiped about rather than Matt et al.. And Ben has the addition of Jennifer to add to the juiciness because she’s famous in her own right. Unlike Luciana who isn’t famous in her own right. Plus Ben had that super duper high profile romance whereas Matt never has.
So there are other factors that play into who’s more interesting to the public and therefore profitable to the paparazzi.
Well let’s forget Damon who I also mentioned upthread. Let’s look at Goop who is more popular than Garner and not for good reasons either. I can’t stand the woman but we don’t see her kids constantly getting paped. She takes her kids to school as well as pick them up. The only controversy we saw around her with the kids was that vespa situation. We can say whatever we want about Goop but I don’t think she goes out and seek the paps like Garner does and then want to turn around and cry foul when they get too close or become too much.
I don’t think it has anything to do with Ben’s tendency to wander. If that was the case the paps would be following Ben and not the wife and kids. They would want to catch him in the act, he’s the story, not the kids. They are only being paped because most of those moments caught on film are staged by Garner.
Am I the only one who thinks that they call the paps? Why aren’t Matt Damon’s kids ever photographed? Remember that interview with Matt where he said something about celebrities being able to get privacy if they really wanted it?
Edit: I see I’m not the only one with this opinion!!
Matt’s wife isn’t a celebrity. He acknowledged that it was easier for him to live a relatively normal life because he wasn’t married to a famous person.
I don’t totally buy that argument. I think we don’t see Matt because he doesn’t want/need the publicity so he doesn’t play the paparazzi game. I just saw pics of Heidi Klum on DM. She’s dating a non-celebrity but she is always getting pap’d and my guess is because she is calling them. Why else would we need pics of Heidi Klum’s family?
And I don’t know if she’s a true celebrity but another example is Bethenny Frankel. She’s married to a non-celeb but I see her and her daughter all the time. And the paps seem to always know where she is… because she calls them.
Ok maybe my argument is lame because these aren’t huge celebrities but I still think it has something to do with how cooperative the celeb is with the paps vs. who they’re married to.
Do you realize when Damons were in NYC they were pics of them every week.Maybe you didnt see them because most sites don’t buy them.I see them on celebrity baby sites.It is similar to kids of black celebrities or black kids of celebs most people rarely see them because only a couple sites buy them .Besides Blue Ivy,Nori,Nahla,Smith Kids,Louis Bullock and Jackson Theron
@emmie,
But as you said, they aren’t actors or even that high profile of celebrities.
Heidi Klum is model / TV hostess. She first came to my attention with the controversy over the baby daddy of her first child, and the other kids are from her very public marriage to Seal.
Bethenny is one of those reality show people. Goes without question that she has paps on speed dial, and may even pay them.
I think Ben and Jennifer are just an extremely attractive pap target who live in an area with a lot of paps. They may have used it to their advantage at times, but the pics were going to happen anyway. Sort of like those name actors who sell the baby photos – they know it’s going to happen, so they might as well get it over with on their own terms, where they have control over the situation.
I’m not talking about people like the Jessicas Simpson and Alba, or Tori Spelling + husband and other reality show types, who exploit their kids for a living. I’m referring to popular actor couples where there is genuine public interest and therefore a big market for those personal photos.
Matt Damon’s personal life used to be in the news quite a lot when he dated actresses, so he speaks from experience.
Ben’s wife calls the Pats when she’s driving those kids all over town looking cute and adorable. It’s disgusting and now they want to complain about the coverage. Hypocrisy. I don’t believe Matt and his wife whatever endorsed that sort of behavior. They seem to be a more solid couple and conscientious about how they are raising their children
I don’t think they call the paps. I think Jen has them on a schedule . She’s seems very much that type of mom where the kids are in dance class, they go to arts and crafts stores and such. I think they keep to a routine and the paps know it. I think people get confused. Paps take pictures of them probably every day but they are not posted unless mom and dad are being talked about. So when a movie is coming out or an award show is coming up you suddenly see lots of pictures of them. Not because they call the paps, the paps are already there (or know exactly their routine) and when a site or magazine calls or needs a picture to go with a story (Affleck being chosen for a role) updated pics are available.
Agree. People are more interested at certain times, ie Oscars.
Matt has said there’s not much interest in them because of who he is married to. There’s photos of them around, though. Just Jared has a bunch of photos of them and the children going on vacation at the airport and only two posts, and that’s of an unusual sighting, not papped daily. Jenn and Ben get papped all the time, and yet they still get at least 20 posts on JustJared’s site of a random same ol same ol oouting.
Matt and his family at the airport going on vacation this year –
http://www.justjared.com/photo-gallery/2962157/matt-damon-miami-vacation-with-wife-luciana-girls-03/
Regarding your comments about how Ben describes his marriage, I have to wonder if he doesn’t gush, but rather describes it in practical terms, because that’s how he really feels. It’s well documented that he hasn’t always been the most loyal or steadfast of husbands, but they seem to be in a good space these days. He doesn’t seem giddily in love with her, but like he has a strong appreciation and respect for the home, family, and support that she provides to him; this is what seems to come across when he talks about Garner and his marriage. He seems grateful for her, and for what she gives him in their marriage.
Deep respect and a feeling of family and stability is my definition of a solid marriage. They’ve been together a long time, it’s probable they are past the honeymoon stage, and they aren’t going to shove their tongues down each other’s throats on the red carpet. But to say he doesn’t love her? Or isn’t in love with her? I disagree. I get the sense he loves her very much. The ones who gush too much and talk too much are the ones I worry about.
And he was a wild gusher about JLO and look where that got him. He probably thinks this is the safer route.
And he looked so awkward doing it! He always has. He may be a charming guy, but acting romantic in films or as himself has never seemed to be his strong suit.
A lot of his JLO praise seemed very rehearsed/mechanical so I’m thinking it came more from her head than from his heart.
Gossip and rumours may be entertaining, but in no way do they count as ‘well documented.’ He has a checquered past. I think lot has been assumed because of that.
Jen left her first husband because she admitted she expected to be treated like a princess all the time, adored. She learned that that is not realistic, but Jen would never be with Ben if she didn’t feel he was really into her. Michael Vartan was crazy about her. Ben went after her and she is crazy about him. She wouldn’t have had a third baby if she wasn’t fulfilled by him emotionally. She’s not some desperate woman that settles for mediocre love I don’t think she worries so much about anything because at home she gets plenty of love.
He has raved about her. This year at the SAGs.
“Dozens of stars hit the red carpet at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in L.A. Jan. 27, but only one of them stood out to Ben Affleck: Jennifer Garner, his wife of seven years and the mother of his three children.
“She’s the most beautiful woman out there,” Affleck raved during an interview with Access Hollywood’s Shaun Robinson. Garner, 40, looked regal wearing an Oscar de la Renta gown, Brian Atwood heels and David Webb jewels.”
Ben in the middle of an interview gets a call from Jen and interrupts the interview to take it.
“Hey, love, are you on the plane?” he asks gently. “I’m in an interview right now, but I love you very much.” Then he quips that her trip is doubly traumatic for the actress, “First, ’cause she’s away from the kids, second, ’cause I’m in charge.”
“She wouldn’t have had a third baby if she wasn’t fulfilled by him emotionally.” Sorry to disagree but as the third child of a woman who was emotionally unfulfilled by her first husband I have to point out that having multiple children together is not proof of contentment or a successful marriage.
When people have said they set up pap shots, I always roll my eyes. They are A Listers and don’t need pap shots as there’s plenty taken and it’s intrusive. I will never believe for one second, not even a millisecond they would use their children in that way. It is horrible what children endure wilth a bunch of lenses all over them.
Falling in love with Jen was the best thing that happened to him.
I think too many people are jaded and while some people DO call the paps — not all do. And he makes a great point about not selling his kids’ photos when they were born.
They did not have to sell them because no one cared enough to hunt them down!
There was not a huge price tag on their first pics, they were not worth anything. I do not think they would even get a lot.
And while Jolie and Pitt sold their pics, their kids are never seen when in LA. There was a huge price tag on their first pics, and why let the paps get the money when a charity can!
Lady Slippers,
I don’t post often but I read threads a lot. I am always impressed by your posts, both their content and your manner. That may be because I often agree with you so…bias 🙂 I agree with your sentiments here as well.
Cera,
I do believe that the Afflecks would have received a payout for their children’s pictures (especially as newborns). Many lesser known, d-list celebrities have gotten payment for newborn photos. I don’t understand why you would think that they couldn’t get payment. Affleck’s past alone (Bennifer) made him a tabloid commodity. Had he not married a fellow celebrity, I might agree with you but while Garner isn’t A-list (then or now), she is/was certainly high-profile enough to get press attention. The two together do cause much media interest. If they didn’t then why til this day do the get photographed constantly? Even if you think that they (particularly she) is complicit, there still has to be a market for the photos to make it a credible bit of work for a paparazzi. Obviously, there is a market for photos of this couple’s children.
GMAB if Tori Spelling can get a million for her kid pics then Garner Afleck could have received more.
Well you can roll your eyes all you want but the fact is that many A Listers do not have their children on display. Matt Damon is every bit as famous as Affleck and you do not see his kids. You don’t see Christian Bale’s children photographed. Those are just a few examples. If you notice these child shots always crop up during awards and movie releases. It is a bit naive to assume that these people don’t call the paps. It is well known in Hollywood A listers do use the paps. That is how they keep themselves in the press 12 months a year.
@eliza LOL at Matt Damon being every bit as famous as Ben. He’s not and hasn’t been since Good Will Hunting.
Ben is a celebrity married to a celebrity, that ups his appeal. Some couples may use their children like this but I don’t buy for a minute that they do. Jen seems VERY motherly and normal and protective, and Ben seems like a serious worker and down to earth father. I think their situation is an unfortunate combination of things, but not their blame.
Did you miss the extremely successful Bourne movies? Damon has had a far more consistent career than Affleck ever since Good Will Hunting. Ben has been tabloid fodder since JLo and is lucky to to have a career at all after Gigli, Pearl Harbor and Daredevil.
Nina, Yes –Matt is a much better actor but Ben is the bigger celebrity. Bennifer synched that a long time ago.
Media outlets buy the pics people want to see. It’s simple case of supply and demand. No matter how often a celeb calls for pics — if there isn’t interest — no one will see them. So the bigger blame lays with *us* the media hungry public.
+1, Jayna
Most days they don’t need the pap shots and the paps are more of a nuisance but I’d guess a great majority do use the paps when it is for their benefit, even if we might not know the benefit at the time. So much of this stuff is very calculated, very behind-the scenes. Celebs pay huge sums of money to their managers, publicists, etc. to do all this *sneaky* stuff. I’m not saying all but again, a great majority play the game – and the game sometimes involves paparazzi.
+ 1000 Jayna! Re: calling the paps I don’t buy it too. Luciana is not a celebrity hence the paps are not interested in stalking her same goes for Hugh Jackman’s wife. The paps know Jen’s routine.
IA Jayna. I don’t think this couple uses their children like that. They seem like a regular family with a regular routine, trying to survive in- unfortunately- LA.
Matt isn’t papped as much because he’s not 50% of a powercouple… Nor is he as cute.
CB, I agree. The interview you posted sounds wonderful but the description of his marriage is a bit detached and clinical. But then again, in all fairness, he doesn’t gush much (any more). And he might do that to keep us, the viewing public, out of his marriage. So if those are his reasons, I’m totally okay with it.
The holding hands pic looks adorable. 🙂
I think he was so burned in the other Bennifer debacle. People always say he wasn’t crazy about Jenn when he married her. I don’t believe that. Jenn was so hot back then during her Alias and Daredevil days. She was 30 and adorable, a natural beauty, and I think he pursued her heavily. A fan put this on youtube some shots of them together before babies and right when Violet was born.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bv-E0Z-yq4
Sorry, but the truth is the truth. Some women want to believe that it’s twu wuv, but it just isn’t, not on his part. He is a restless guy, he needed an anchor, he was wild, and she was willing to be that. No matter what. She is insecure. She will never leave him, no matter how much he cheats. He is more appreciative now, but he could still take or leave the family lifestyle.
Must say I can’t believe some of the comments. Yes, you can accuse the parents of famewhoring the children, they’re not as “famous” or “sought after” as the other family, but he’s absolutely spot on about how the children are affected. It’s like you’re saying, “Whatever, kids, your parents make us do this to you.”
I still say that they really don’t call the paps I believe Jen Garner has spoken about the fact that you just reach an agreement with them for this many shots so they leave them alone. I know everyone was being uber cynical during Oscar run but they have always been careful about keeping their kids out of the public eye. And I totally forgot that they have never sold pictures of their kids when they are born which I give them credit for since so many celebrities do that and they yell about privacy.
ITA 100% with both comments.
It may be true that they don’t court attention but I see more photos of their kids than any others. And I come to this gossip site, otherwise I avoid all the pap outlets. I think children should have their faces blurred out, I don’t think there is any reason for their images to be out in the public. I think the photos themselves are okay but only if the photographers are at a safe distance, not menacing kids or anyone and the kids should have their faces blurred out. Considering how many other nanny state laws we have to protect kids I don’t understand this failure to protect the privacy of minors.
Ben is right…kids should be completely off-limits to the paps. Paps should not be allowed to follow them around when they are with a famous parent or not, stalk them at their schools and play dates and shouldn’t be allowed to try to engage them under any circumstances. It must be very frightening for a child to have grown men yelling things at them as they shove cameras in their faces. Many times you’ll see a child hiding their faces or covering their eyes because of the bright flashes from the cameras. I’ve seen and heard video footage of several celebs being verbally attacked by the paps at LAX. The horrible things they screamed at them in an effort to get a reaction is disgusting. Can you imagine what goes through a young child’s mind seeing and hearing such ugly, abusive behavior from strange, nasty looking men? Stricter pap laws involving children need to be implemented.
I agree with him 100% about blurring kids faces in publications and not allowing paps to stalk them. If they weren’t paps, they would probably be subject to arrest for that kind of behaviour.
As for his comments about his wife, I think they were ok but he has never struck me as a romantic sort on or off screen.
Then they could start then by not going to that Country Mart!
The paps are always there and yet Jen goes EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!! You think she would at least stop going to pap hangouts, but no.
Whatever she get there she could easily get in the many places in LA without paps. Paps are not everywhere in LA, and you can avoid them if you put in a little effort.
He also seemed to have no problem at all during Oscar season.
I totally get what you’re saying but celebs shouldn’t have to alter their life because of the paparazzi. The Country Mart is a great place, it’s cute, it’s convenient, you can get a lot done there, in one-stop (and not have to deal with LA traffic!) And maybe that is her concession: She knows they’ll be there, they’ll get their shots and then leave her alone the rest of the day? And on the days that she absolutely wants to avoid them, she avoids going there.
Except they then follow her all day anyways! She is photographed all day, everyday!
They do not have to get a shot and she could protect her poor kids from the paps by not going there! It seems then that convenience is more important to her then protecting and avoiding paps.
She can’t whine about the paps when she goes straight to their hang outs!
It’s like whining about lions when going into a lion den.
She would not have to alter her life that much at all. Small price to pay for a pap free life.
If you and/or your wife and your kids are being paped every day for months and years and you haven’t figured out how to avoid it you are either dumb or a famewhoring phoney.
What they try to avoid is paps they cant control, paps that take pictures of them that don’t look like happy family or devoted mum pics.
http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Jennifer+Garner/Jennifer+Garner+Takes+Kids+Park/Tvd0FsFGk7J
They do have a choice though. They could move and most of their problems would be solved straight away. Even moving to a different part of LA would make a difference. They have multiple nannies, they could let them be more visible. A picture of the kids with Jennifer or Ben is worth a lot, a picture of them with the nanny isn’t worth the time it takes to get it. They could even just change up their routine occasionally…the problem is the paps know exactly where Jennifer will be because she goes to the same places every day. It’s not like they live in the sticks, it wouldn’t be a massive imposition to drive to a different grocery store or park occasionally. The same guys stake out the same places at the same time every week because they know they’re guaranteed photos. If Jennifer & Ben start doing something different, even occasionally, then it’s no longer guaranteed, effortless money and the horde will thin out. But really, if this was actually a major issue for them, they would have done what most celebs in their position do and moved the hell out of LA long before their children were school-aged.
They want to have their cake and eat it too. They want people to see the cute kids and see them doing normal family stuff. Jennifer’s relevance is tied to that and Ben needs it to counter his otherwise sleazy image. They want the photo’s taken and printed, they just want the paps to treat them differently to how they treat every other celeb who does a daily pap walk.
I personally think it should be illegal for the paps to photograph celebrities children (and child stars), but Ben & Jennifer are quite possibly the worst ‘faces’ for this cause. Halle Berry too, she staged so many photo-ops with her daughter during her break-up and custody battle, she only stopped that when she realized the monster SHE created could be used to fight to take her daughter to France. It would be great if some celebs who don’t whore out their children when it suits would jump on this bandwagon, but then those celebs don’t actually have the same issues with the paps, funnily enough, so why would they?
In his defense, I do think the paps are way out of control nowadays. There seems to be a few options, in that celebrities either have to move or live like recluses…or just deal with them. And I think some of these celebrities would rather just deal with them rather than uproot their lives or avoid certain areas of Los Angeles. The worst part is the kids, but I do think they cross the line with adult celebrities too…I saw some photos of Rooney Mara walking outside of her house, and considering all of the crazies out there that didn’t seem very safe and kind of an invasion of privacy. I get celebrities being papped when they are out at events, eating lunch, or shopping on a street full of boutiques….but I don’t really need to see a a close up photo of Kiki Dunst and her Mom coming out of Bed Bath and Beyond or Rooney’s house or January Jones inside a Target with her young son.
Ben is an okay actor and a great director, but he doesn’t have the gravitas to pull off a dark and brooding Batman imo. Jon Hamm or Josh Brolin would have been SO much better.
“…the paps are way out of control nowadays.” THIS!!
I blame digital cameras and the Internet, especially celebrity blogs!! (just kidding about celebrity blogs) — But yeah, it’s dangerous – for the celebs and for the paps. A pap was killed trying to get pics of Justin Bieber earlier this year and Nicole Kidman was rundown by a bicycle pap in NY — But I wonder if professional paps will phase out eventually? Almost everyone has a phone or a tablet on them at all times, which means they have a camera, which means they can and probably do take pics of celebs they see.
I saw this paparazzi video with Dave Chapelle–I think it may have been back in the 2005/6 era, because in the video he asked about Brad and Angelina (the beach pics). But anyway–he asked them what the difference between paparazzis were. Now these paparazzis were actually pretty nice–they said hi, etc. No cussing him out, nothing like that. They said that the difference (in behavior) was whether or not they were employed by an agency, or free lance. The free lance paps are the ones who feel the need to cuss you out, put themselves and others in harm’s way to get that picture.
I’ve read the same thing, but I’ve also read that certain pap agencies have a reputation for being way more aggressive. I think the difference between 2005 and now is that there is a ton of online gossip blogs that will buy even the most basic photos, like Kiki Dunst at Bed, Bath, and Beyond with her Mom….so I do think they are more vicious because they can sell basically anything nowadays.
There are plenty of areas in LA with no paps. Plenty of famous, sought after celebs manage to get coffee, go grocery shopping etc. and not be photographed.
If Jen & Ben did not want to be photographed daily, then they wouldn’t be.
They could start and buy a coffee machine! Or go through the drive thru to get coffee.
Yes and no. I mean Kiki Dunst was just photographed at the Bed Bath and Beyond in Studio City of all places with her mom…it’s not like she was in Brentwood or Los Feliz. I think some celebs just sell or are popular with the tabloids, even if there are more famous actors or actresses, and therefore they tend to be “hunted” more. I do think they could move out of Brentwood or the Pacific Palisades, but they probably send their kids to one of the private schools in the area like the Brentwood School and they probably have friends there….so I understand why celebrities live in those areas.
I agree with Lark. It’s yes and no… I wouldn’t be happy if I had to alter my life and/or stop going to the places I love just because I wanted to avoid the paps. On the other hand, that could be the price you have to pay in exchange for being rich and famous. But I put my foot down on buying a coffee machine. I need my coffee shop lattes!!
Sorry, to me saying that “if you don’t want your children to be papped to the extent that they might harass the children, stop going to Country Marts with them/walking your children to school, park, etc” is equal with saying women are raped because they wear mini skirts.
This
That’s a sound comparison. My takeaway from your comment is that we’re not addressing the source of the problem-a vile industry where rags pay millions for candid photos of celebs. Instead of laying blame on the shoulders of the tabloid industry, people are saying that the onus lies on the shoulders of the celebrity to avoid being photographed and that’s rather unfair and ridiculous IMO.
……besides the fact that how anyone could defend the paps is beyond my understanding.
I get that everyone hates Affleck but the paparazzi are straight-up scumbags and I don’t see how people can fault Affleck for wanting to protect his kids.
I completely agree with your comment. Also, I don’t know if it’s Affleckcentric hate or Garnercentric hate but, either way it doesn’t matter, in this instance the couple are absolutely right. Further, Garner has actively tried to protect their children thru legal channels and argue though they might non-fans have to admit that very few have gone to such lengths to protect their children. I think that should be applauded, they (particularly Jennifer) have made positive change happen for all celebrity children not just their own. BTW, not a huge fan girl of this couple but I am beginning to appreciate them more particularly in this instance.
Seriously?? Rape survivor here. Please don’t compare this bullshit to rape. Let’s not go down this road.
I’m so sorry, I did not mean to offend the rape victims, It was a bad analogy.
I withdraw my comparison. Perhaps the better analogy is to victims of sexual harassment (not only at the office, but in the streets as well). Point is, children of celebrities are as much vulnerable and have the same right as any other kid. Doesn’t matter if they live a privileged life, their sense of security must be provided.
Not at all.
She could still take them out, just not to pap filled areas.
Whatever is at that country mart can be found in a place where paps are not sitting out.
There are playgrounds with no paps as well in LA.
And she does nothing to protect her kids. Nothing to avoid paps. She can avoid them, but she doesn’t.
Good celeb parents make the effort to avoid the pap areas, protect their kids.
Except for the fact that Garner/Affleck/kids pics never look like harassment pics. They call contract photogs who deliver them with happy family, good PR pics.
I think what everyone is forgetting is that the paps are waiting outside these celebrities homes everyday and then following them, it’s not hard to find out where they live, you just tail them from the studio or grocery store to the home, it’s called stalking, and that is what ultimately is going on here. Go to Daily mail, every celebrity from a-list to c-list is on that site, it caters to everyone’s curiosity, Bruce WIllis and Jason Bateman have pics on there both at the farmers market this weekend, are those set up or maybe the paps just happen to camp out there, speaking of, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen pics of Jen at the farmers market? Matt Damon and his wife are on Daily Mail too today coming out of a restaurant, The Ivy, where you go when you want to get papped, go figure, will Matt get shit on for this? no, because he’s Matt Damon the perfect father and husband.
I noticed those Ivy pics, too. I don’t think anyone going to call Matty D out, just like he is hardly called out for subtly humble bragging about not being like his other celeb friends in mags.
Whoever farther up said Sara Jessica Parker isn’t papped much, that’s not true. They are harrassed and papped all the time. They can’t walk out of their Brownstone or whatever building they live in and the paps are lying in wait taking photos of the twins and the boy trying to go to school, at the park. It’s just only a few sites carry the photos but it’s all the time with them.
It’s also well known that SJP wears the same clothing several days in a row in order to make the pics of her son going to school worthless or at least not worth as much.
It is wrong for the paps to stalk children at their schools and to get in their faces when they are out. But…Ben courted the paps with his happy family when he was in the midst of his Oscar campaign. Hypocrisy 101.
I don’t have a horse to back in this race – dont really care for him, don’t feel strongly about her – but I will say this in her defense.
Small children do best with routine – period. My son’s two and a half and if something upsets his routine – ooh, boy, ill be paying for it the rest of the day! We’re delayed leaving the grocery store and he misses his nap time? No nap and a cranky kid. If someone wanted to follow me around and take photos of us it’d probably be incredibly easy, and avoiding them/changing up the routine carries the risk of throwing off the rest of the day.
I imagine Jen Garner has to make the same call – if she upsets the routine to avoid the paps, she could have a cranky kid on her hands. And I don’t think it’s fair to say they should send the nanny – why shouldn’t she be able to pick up her own kid from dance class? Those moments with my son – asking how his day went, etc – are some of my favorite of the day.
My two cents
@Celebitchy, who wrote: “Affleck has been consistent in explaining about how his wife saved him, how he credits her with his career resurgence, and how he still sees their marriage as difficult and work. That’s honest and upfront, but I still wish he would gush about her a little more, instead of describing their relationship as a kind of springboard for his career. It sounds very self centered.”
Ben ‘is’ very self centered. He loves the attention. He ‘loved’ being in that high-profile relationship with J-lo. I’m trying hard not to shade Ben, because I’ve liked him for a many years, but if he was ‘that’ concerned about his kids living in a ‘PAP’ bubble then perhaps he should have taken Matt Damon’s suggestion to base their Production Company (Pearl Street Films) in NYC instead of Los Angeles. Ben could have moved his family ‘out’ of the PAP bubble and gotten some, apparently, much desired relief from the PAPS.
Matt Damon finally gave in and moved his family to L.A. because Ben refused to leave Los Angeles.
Why pull his kids away from their home, their school, their friends? Why increase the time his kids spend apart from one or both of their parents because mom and dad are continually flying into LA on business? All this to exchange LA paps for NYC paps? Why? What would be the point? As if they’ll be papped less in NYC?
I don’t agree. He was in a high profile relationship with Gwyneth Paltrow and he never sought attention and rarely talked about her and they were in love.
Well, he was in love 😉
Disagree that the never sought attention. “Ben and Gwen” were everywhere. The memory of that pr onslaught fades in the face of the JLo juggernaut, but it did happen.
I agree with the idea that Ben and family could have chosen to live somewhere else and that would’ve have lessened or eliminated the paps intrusion in their lives. I do wonder if they did live somewhere else if that would have impacted their family life too i.e. one or both parents having to be absent from their lives more than they are now. Perhaps, they have chosen the lesser of two evils (as they see it). This is pure speculation on my part because I don’t know how HW works as far as what you can do there versus another location.
Also, I agree that Ben really did enjoy the Bennifer show and I think that the attention was a major draw for him. I do believe that that experience combined with some maturity helped him decide that he didn’t want to continue his life in that vein, little less raise children in the middle of that kind of tabloid blitzkrieg type of existence.
Ben’s not calling the paps. There’s no need. He is an established A lister and recent Oscar winner – the paps follow him, not vice versa. Has anyone caught the “we fell in love on Daredevil” comment? This was long assumed though Jen and Ben never admitted to it. He was engaged to JLo then.
Yes, I did. Although, I knew there was chemistry, I don’t think anything happened. She was either married or with Vartran. And when he finally ended it with J-LO, Jen was still not available to him because he dated some Boston girl for a brief period. I remember Jenn saying he really started pouring on the attention via e-mail pursuing her. So I’m sure she dumped Vartran for Ben on some level, but the timelines I am unsure of what the lag was between everything.
Forget Ben was engaged to Jlo, Jen was married to Scott Foley, that’s the bigger issue. I think there was probably a huge attraction on both parts at that time, especially on Jen’s, whether they actually acted on it, who knows? It’s odd because Ben keeps saying they have been together 10 years, he referred to this in his “famous” Oscar speech and in this interview. They have only been married 8 years but have been officially together for 9, I guess he’s rounding up? But if they were truly had a “thing” back in the Daredevil days, he certainly has no problem publicizing that now despite the fact that he and Jen were clearly in relationships with other people at the time. But I guess everyone has moved on and that was 10 years ago, so he figures who cares at this point.
I can’t blame them for falling in love. No of us has any control over that feeling – it is or it is not. If and how we act on it – that we can control. The gossip of the day had a suspicious JLo making a few surprise visits to the set. One story had her and Jen G in a screaming match. If Jen and Ben acted on the feeling, shame on them. But, in fairness, they pulled it together, retreated to their respective corners, and tried to make their failing relationships work.
The other piece that hasn’t been discussed on why so many pap pictures of their kids and not others is who Garner sells to. Let’s face it, no one gives a crap about her as an actress; no one. Yes I know she’s in Dallas Buyers Club but it’s a role a dozen other actresses could have played. She doesn’t sell movies, she sells magazines like Good Housekeeping or Mommies Today or whatever. That’s why pictures of those kids sell. Goop for example sells more to the fashion crowd.
fell in love during daredevil… While she was married and he was engaged. Sweet.
I know huh? Boggles the mind.
“She is by leaps and bounds the most important person to me in that respect.”
Um, why did you have to add “in that respect” at the end?
As my husband just said (reading gossip is our together time), “He seems incapable of saying anything nice about Jennifer Garner. Why does he have to qualify his statements? ‘In that regard?’ What a bitchy thing to say!”
He never says any personal compliment (she’s nice, funny, smart, pretty) but rather a functional compliment you would give to a personal assistant. He talks like she’s his employee.
Oh good grief woman.
He was asked a specific question about how he brought his career around, not Jen. HE brought her up. Why dont you read the actual interview before commenting on it, hummm. And your husband doesn’t seem to be able to read.
Seems to me they complain all the time. I think the paps should stop taking their picture then Jennifer Garner can thankfully fade into obscurity.
I do think it’s wrong the paparazzi take pictures of the kids, especially as the kids didn’t exactly sign up for this lifestyle.
That’s a great interview. I’ve respected him a lot more since I’ve seen some of his longer form interviews, especially the DP/30 interviews. He’s a funny guy, obviously very smart…. I’m glad Argo finally started to turn his image. My favorite Q&A by far: “PLAYBOY: When you played a congressman in State of Play, one of the politicians you patterned your character after was Anthony Weiner.
AFFLECK: Which goes to show you how sharp my dramatic instincts were. I was tuned in.”
the bottom like for a pap is money. They take pictures of all celebrities. Some celebs sell and others don’t. You will see all celebs on sites like Justjared and such. But if a pap wants to make big money then he/she gets pics of the biggies The Jolie-Pitts are the biggies. Which is why those pics of them on that yacht were exclusives. and they were pretty expensive. So yes that is big money. The pics of those kids are not just on gossip sites, they make the cover of magazines. Not just here in the states but overseas. So yes that is big money. I don’t read or buy tabloids, but I know that I don’t see Jen/ben kids on the covers. Why? because they don’t sell that way. Jen/Ben and their family sell to certain sites, but they don’t generate sells overseas.
To say that because a celebrity sold a picture of a baby that nobody could really recognize today means they lose the right to complain are ask for some privacy. I know that some people love to throw that out there, but a picture of a baby 3 weeks old or so does’t mean you can’t say enough.
We see celebs putting all their family business on twitter or instagram and such. Putting out pictures of family moments; first this and that, pictures of their child doing everything. Big difference.
Just curious is Ben promoting something. why the interview.
I don’t believe anyone in that family is calling the paps for personal gain, especially if their children are present. There’s no way Jen would testify to lawmakers, or they would give anti-paparazzi interview after interview, if they were in cahoots. The tabloids would have outed them by now.
I’m especially hesitant to believe that theory after their experience with a stalker . No good parents — heck, no bad parents — would risk their children’s lives for box office numbers.
I think Jen Garner sells big with the sort of soccer moms who would buy a tabloid in the checkout line. They think she’s “just like them,” whether true or not. Her kids have a routine schedule and they are regularly trailed, so it’s not hard to get the pics. Could they move to another town or state and get less attention? Probably, but then they would be separated more often, and that’s bad for kids, too.
I think blaming them for the paparazzi’s behavior is just the kind of shaming this site is so quick to call out. Just because there are less pics of other people’s kids doesn’t mean they are responsible. Perhaps in their efforts to minimize the paparazzi they have drawn more attention to themselves? Maybe the photos are out of spite? Or maybe they have made arrangements to have less invasive photos taken in exchange for less harassing?
Really don’t understand why a celebrity is a hypocrite just because they want to keep their kids separate from their careers. Yeah, they promote a lot when they’ve got a project coming out. It’s their JOB, and if they didn’t, everyone would label them “difficult” and bitch and moan about their “attitude” with the media. Besides, it shouldn’t be about whether or not famous parents have “the right” to complain… it’s about the safety and sanity of these kids, and damn STRAIGHT someone should be pushing for that, so IMO, good for Jen and Halle and anyone else who worked on it.
If I were famous and some TMZ sleaze was in my kid’s face yelling to get the shot, or calling her a “little bitch”, Sean Penn/Alec Baldwin would seem cuddly by comparison.
She did some promo for her recent movie. It was a 25 minute interview and actually I found it fascinating the way the movie was shot, a real indie, the AIDS movie with Jared Leto and Matthew McConoghuey, but at 16.00 watch it. She begins to get into the new law and what she goes through with the paps. It just sounds awful. They lay in wait for her every morning to take them to school, a pack of them, not one., and how you leave your house looking like shit and there they are making a bad day worse as your’re just trying to get out the door, but she said no matter how much it bothers her what is awful is what it does to the kids. And she explained what we don’t see, what they experience from these camera men all so close.
I was also so impressed in this interview about her love for being a mom but conflicted when first being on set and how she started crying the first day because she missed putting them to bed and Matthew helped her work through it. She had said she was going to turn it down because she was really happy at home and Ben encouraged her to do it because it was a director she loved. She said it brought out a passion in her again but that it will never define her, her family does.
Ben is a lucky guy to have found somebody so balanced and lovely and family oriented. and yet have her in the business so she understands him and is interested in what he does and so supportive.
The part about the paps starts around 16.00 Anybody who thinks she sets this is so off base, imo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xAwougM6VE