Ben Affleck has officially entered his Dad Mode era, complete with boundary-setting, job-preaching, and giving his kids that iconic “You got McDonald’s money?” energy. And honestly? We’re here for it.
In a recent interview on Today with Jenna and Friends (aka the morning show where celebs come to confess how their children now know what a budget is), Ben casually dropped the bombshell that two of his kids are now… employed. Like, with actual jobs. Like, “Can I get you started with some appetizers?” jobs.
Let’s break it down. Ben and his ex, America’s Sweetheart™ Jennifer Garner, have three kids: Violet (19), Seraphina (16), and Samuel (13). And the older two are out here joining the workforce like regular people. Violet is in college and juggling a job and trying to land an internship, which means she’s already doing more than most of us on a Tuesday. Seraphina? She’s working a classic teen job—but Ben won’t spill the beans on what exactly it is. Suspicious? Yes. But also… maybe she’s a barista and doesn’t want her dad showing up trying to order a “Batffleckccino.”
Now, lil’ Samuel is still 13, but he just had his first encounter with the cruel, cruel world of money management.
“He wanted these sneakers,” Ben said. “And I was like, ‘These sneakers are $6,000. What are you gonna do—mow lawns in Beverly Hills? You got $6,000? I have the money. You are broke.’”
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how Samuel got hit with his first economic recession—at home.
Even though Ben could obviously buy those sneakers with the change in his Batmobile cupholder, he’s all about setting boundaries. Like a responsible, grizzled, slightly tired Jedi master of fatherhood.
Ben added, “My son’s staring into his closet like it’s the void—he’s got shoes, just not the kind that make your friends gasp and call you ‘drippy.’ And I told him, ‘If you want the fancy stuff, you’re gonna have to work 1,000 hours at minimum wage. And after all that, you might decide you’d rather just wear Crocs.’”
Honestly, preach, Ben. Teach these Hollywood kids the value of a dollar—and maybe sneak in a life lesson or two about lawn care along the way.
