Ben Affleck Reveals What Jennifer Lopez Said to Him During Viral Grammys Moment

Ben Affleck swears he had “a good time” at the 2023 Grammys, despite footage from the awards show that went viral as people assumed the opposite. The 50-year-old actor, who attended the ceremony last month with his wife Jennifer Lopez, looked less-than-thrilled as the camera cut to him a number of times throughout the night, even capturing what appeared to be a tense exchange between him and Lopez. 

But despite the memes that arose from the situation, Affleck told The Hollywood Reporter he actually wasn’t miserable – and he didn’t mind the jokes. “I had a good time at the Grammys,” the Oscar winner recalled in a March 16 cover story for the publication. “My wife was going, and I thought, ‘Well, there’ll be good music. It might be fun.’ At movie award shows, it’s speeches and, like, sound-mixing webinars. But I thought this would be fun.”

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Affleck then revealed what he and Lopez were saying to one another in the much-examined exchange. “I saw [Grammy host Trevor Noah approach] and I was like, ‘Oh, God,’” Affleck explained. “They were framing us in this shot, but I didn’t know they were rolling. I leaned into her and I was like, ‘As soon they start rolling, I’m going to slide away from you and leave you sitting next to Trevor.’ She goes, ‘You better f-ing not leave.’” The moment was “a husband-and-wife thing,” the Air actor continued, noting that he wasn’t sure what “act” was about to occur. “Like, I don’t keep up,” he continued. “My wife does, obviously. And yeah, it is your wife’s work event.”

One thing Affleck did mind about the discourse surrounding the Grammys was the speculation he was not sober. “I’ve gone to events and been pissed off. I’ve gone and been bored. I’ve gone to award shows and been drunk, a bunch. Nobody ever once said I’m drunk,” he said. “[But at the Grammys] they were like, ‘He’s drunk.’ And I thought, that’s interesting.”

“That raises a whole other thing about whether or not it’s wise to acknowledge addiction because there’s a lot of compassion, but there is still a tremendous stigma, which is often quite inhibiting,” Affleck continued of his public sobriety journey. “I do think it disincentivizes people from making their lives better.”

After becoming “out of no desire of [his] own” one of the “poster boys” for alcoholism and recovery in Hollywood, the Batman actor acknowledged there are two sides of that reputation he has to deal with. “The best part about that is that sometimes people call me up and they’re like, ‘Hey, can you help me out?’ And it makes me feel so good to do that,” he shared. But dealing with the public stigma surrounding addiction is more difficult. “That’s why there’s two words on the front of the book. They’re just as important, both of them: Alcoholics Anonymous,” he explained. “It’s always anonymous.”