Ben Affleck remains among the few A-listers not on social media. However, the Oscar winner revealed that he has been on Instagram. Even more surprisingly, Affleck has been on the platform twice and has been banned both times. His absence from social media has been a notorious point for fans, especially when former wives Jennifer Garner and Jennifer Lopez remain highly active.
The actor was recently seen in a funny reel with “Animals” co-star Kerry Washington, but the joke surrounding it was his reluctance to join the internet community. Affleck, 54, spoke to Variety about why he has no interest in permanently joining the platform. However, he admitted he did jump over two times for a specific reason.
Ben Affleck Was Banned From Instagram For ‘Impersonating’ Himself
Ben Affleck would naturally attract millions of followers if he were to make a verified Instagram account. But the Oscar winner has joined the platform twice without confirming his legitimacy. As a result, Instagram banned his accounts both times, assuming he was an imposter. According to Affleck, he only signed up to spy on his children.
In his Variety interview, Affleck said only six people ever knew he was genuinely on Instagram. His followers were his own children and a handful of their friends. The actor wanted to keep tabs on his kids’ social media accounts and figured this was the most convenient way to do so. Unfortunately, Instagram management didn’t consider him a legitimate account holder.
“I got banned from Instagram twice for impersonating myself. I had six followers.” Affleck told Variety. “It was my kids and some of their friends. It was just an excuse for me to look at [their] social media accounts.”
Affleck never considered making the jump to social media a permanent thing. The actor doesn’t see any value in putting his personal life out there. On the contrary, Affleck feels like maintaining “an illusion” is something he believes in as an actor.
He used Daniel Day-Lewis, Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, and Denzel Washington as examples. According to the “Good Will Hunting” star, prestige performers like those are whom he admires, but he has no interest in “seeing what they had for lunch.” Affleck admitted he sounded “out-of-touch,” but remained adamant about how he views social media.
Ben Affleck Says He Would Be A ‘Terrible Influencer’
Ben Affleck told Variety that his experience with young actors has one commonality: they all feel a pressure to cultivate an online following. The 54-year-old sympathized with the current generation’s issues, saying that casting directors actually use social media followings as a meaningful metric.
When asked how he would have managed if he were a young actor today, Affleck was blunt in his assessment. He said that he would be bad at navigating the current landscape. According to him, he would be a “terrible influencer” because he doesn’t function like one.
Variety also asked Affleck how his best friend, Matt Damon, 56, would have fared in the same regard. The “Good Will Hunting” star claimed Damon would be even worse than he is, calling him “conservative in that regard.” Much like Affleck, Damon has also steered clear of social media.
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Ben Affleck Reveals He Was Banned From Instagram Twice for Bizarre Reason