Who is Violet Affleck? Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner’s daughter turns heads with UN speech

Violet Affleck, 19, the daughter of Hollywood stars Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, made headlines this week after delivering a powerful speech at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Speaking at the inaugural Healthy Indoor Air: A Global Call to Action event, Violet addressed the lasting effects of long Covid-19 on children and urged urgent improvements in clean air infrastructure worldwide.

What Did She Say About the Pandemic’s Impact on Young People?

Wearing an N95 mask, Violet warned about a generation “being failed” by leaders during the pandemic. She said: “We are told by leaders across the board that we are the future. But when it comes to the ongoing pandemic, our present is being stolen right in front of our eyes.” She also highlighted how children and young people have lacked both choice and clear information about pandemic-related decisions that affect them.

Read | Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner’s daughter Violet delivers UN speech on COVID, masks and child health

Why Is Long Covid a Concern for Children?

A Yale University student, Violet drew attention to the long-term health effects of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Citing research from the World Health Organisation and recent studies in JAMA Pediatrics, she noted that long Covid-19 symptoms can persist for months in children, affecting both physical health and cognitive development.

“I am terrified for the children who do not or soon will not know a world without debilitating pain and exhaustion, who cannot trust their bodies to play, explore, and imagine,” Violet said. “And I am furious on their behalf,” she added, stressing the urgency of action.

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What Changes Is She Calling For?

Violet concluded with a plea for better clean air regulations. “We can recognise filtered air as a human right as intuitively as we do filtered water. We can create clean air infrastructure so ubiquitous and necessary that tomorrow’s children won’t even know why it was once needed,” she said.

Has Violet Spoken About This Before?

This is not Violet’s first public activism. In July 2024, she addressed the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, opposing mask bans amid ongoing Covid-19 cases and advocating for air filtration, far-UVC light in public spaces, and mask mandates in medical facilities.

Earlier this year, she also published an academic paper in the Yale Global Health Review, titled “A Chronically Ill Earth: Covid Organising as a Model Climate Response in Los Angeles.” The paper linked her experiences during the 2023 Los Angeles wildfires to broader public health and climate issues.