Ben Affleck Recalls Hilarious Way Mom Christine Taught Him a Lesson About Being Responsible
While recently bonding over being raised by single moms with TV host Kelly Clarkson, Ben Affleck couldn’t help but divulge a hilarious story about his beloved mother, Christine Anne Boldt. The Good Will Hunting actor shared the epic way his mom taught him a lesson about being responsible at a young age.
“She did have one lesson than that she tried to impart to me growing up,” Ben, 47, said during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Wednesday, April 15. “Well, I wanted a dog when when I was a little kid.”
The Batman actor explained that sadly, his mom didn’t think he was “responsible enough” to own a dog because he was still young. However, Ben wasn’t willing to take no for an answer. “I was 10 … I was like, ‘I am responsible enough!'” he explained to the TV host.
Because Anne knew he wasn’t giving up anytime soon, Ben told Kelly, 37, she offered him a deal. “She was like, ‘You’re right … show me that you can do this. You have to walk the dog every day, twice a day,'” he enthusiastically recalled. “And, I said, ‘OK, let’s get the dog!'”
Funny enough, Anne’s deal came with a clever catch. “She goes, ‘No … first, you have to walk an imaginary dog,'” Ben said as the “Because of You” songstress broke into laughter. “I said, ‘What do you mean?'” he continued. “She said, ‘Twice a day, around the block — as if you had the dog, so I know you will do it and you’re responsible enough to do it.'”
Ben told Kelly he committed to his part of the deal and “had to walk around the block with an empty leash twice a day.” He adorably joked, “This woman — who I hope is watching — gave me a leash!”
“The worst is, we got to three weeks in and she’s like, ‘Forget it. I’m not giving you a dog,'” Ben revealed, jokingly adding, “She also taught me a lesson about disappointment. She was like, ‘I didn’t think you were going to follow through!'” LOL!
Considering the filmmaker is one of Hollywood’s biggest mama’s boys, there’s no doubt Anne’s parenting techniques have rubbed off on the way Ben raises kids Violet, 15, Seraphina, 11, and Samuel 8. In fact, a source exclusively told Closer Weekly that the Academy Award winner and ex-wife Jennifer Garner are all about teaching their brood about being responsible.
“Despite everything Ben and Jen have been through, the kids couldn’t be more grounded,” the insider close to the amicable exes shared in December 2019. “Violet, Seraphina and Samuel are so well-behaved and polite.” The insider continued, “It’s important to Ben and Jen to teach them the value of money.”
We adore this famous family!
