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All the times Ben Affleck went viral for the wrong reasons

The Batman star has gone viral again!

Senior Editor
May 12, 2023

Ben Affleck has had his fair share of viral moments, but they haven't always been for the right reasons. 

Recently, the actor made headlines for the way he closed a car door after his wife, Jennifer Lopez, climbed into the front seat.

In the clip, which has taken the internet by storm, Ben and Jennifer can be seen approaching their parked car, each holding a coffee cup. 

Ben opens the door for his wife in a chivalrous gesture before using what appears to be his entire body to shut it behind her with excessive force. As he notices the camera, Ben pulls a slightly irritated face.

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The original TikTok video, captioned “Ben Affleck shows chivalry isn’t dead,” praised the actor for opening the door for Jennifer. 

However, social media users became more fixated on the manner in which he slammed the door shut. 

One Twitter user commented: “I am screaming, why did he slam the door like that? Ben Affleck is tired.” 

TikTok users also noted Ben's seemingly melancholic demeanor, with one writing, “Chivalry isn’t dead, but it looks like happiness is.”

While some defended the actor, saying they saw nothing wrong with his actions, the clip quickly turned into another Ben-related meme, with users deeming him a "mood" and identifying with his apparent grumpiness.

Ben's penchant for going viral in this manner dates back to 2016, when the internet became captivated by "Sad Affleck" memes. 

These memes began circulating after photos of him looking downcast during a Batman v Superman interview emerged. Since then, any time he's been captured looking glum in public, the meme-making continues.

The actor's apparent misery at public events has made him a relatable figure for many on social media. 

Ben has gone viral for his moody demure

His attendance at the 2023 Grammys, for example, led to tweets such as “however bad of a day you’re having, I promise you’re not as miserable as Ben Affleck at the Grammys right now” and "Ben Affleck looks like he'd rather be at Dunkin."

In a Los Angeles Times interview, he admitted that while he found the "Sad Affleck" memes amusing, he worried about how they might affect his children when they see them online.

“Even the ‘Sad Affleck’ meme – that was funny to me. I mean, there’s nobody who hasn’t felt that way at a junket,” he admitted. 

© Photo: Getty Images

At the Grammys where he was called out for looking miserable

“But then my kids see it and I think, ‘Oh, are they going to think their dad is fundamentally sad or they have to worry about me?’ That’s really tough.”

Ben, who has been acting since childhood, gained mainstream fame after co-writing and starring in Good Will Hunting alongside Matt Damon in 1997. 

© Photo: Twitter

Ben often goes viral for all the wrong reasons

His most recent film role was in the biographical sports drama Air, where he played Nike CEO Phil Knight.

After divorcing actress Jennifer Garner in 2018, with whom he shares three children, Affleck married Jennifer Lopez in July 2022. The couple had previously dated in the early 2000s after co-starring in the 2001 comedy Gigli.

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