Violet Affleck spoke out in a college essay about the drama that went down with her mother, Jennifer Garner, in a hotel room where the two hid out to escape from the raging Palisades fire that torched their neighborhood.
The 19-year-old Yale freshman detailed the conflict in a research paper about climate change for the prestigious college’s Global Health Review. Affleck said the tension arose because of Garner’s shocked reaction to the disaster, for which Affleck was more prepared.
Affleck described her mother as being “shell-shocked and astonished” at the toll the flames took on the family’s neighborhood. However, Affleck’s scholarly knowledge allowed her to understand that fires of the size and scale that hit California in January 2025 were inevitable.
“Driven by unsustainable consumption patterns concentrated among the wealthiest citizens of the wealthiest countries, all of which have already subjected most of this country and the world to deadly temperatures, fire-flood cycles, rising seas, and dying crops,” wrote the student.
Affleck called herself a “climate-literate” member of Gen Z who had been questioning not whether the Palisades would burn, but when.
Jennifer Garner & Ben Affleck Dropped Daughter Violet Off at Yale Together in August 2024
Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck, who married in 2005 and split when Garner filed for divorce in 2017, put their differences aside to join each other for their daughter’s college drop off.
In August 2024, the pair was spotted dining out with Violet and her younger sister, Seraphina before leaving Violet at Yale.
Page Six reported that the former couple’s youngest child, 12-year-old Samuel, did not join in on the farewell festivities.
Violet wore a pink and white ankle-length floral dress for the occasion, while Seraphina showed her personality with cargo shorts and a navy tee. Ben Affleck wore khakis, while Jennifer Garner kept it super casual in athleisure.
Jennifer Garner Recently Praised Reese Witherspoon for Charity Run
On May 21, 2025, Garner took to her Instagram Stories to congratulate friend Reese Witherspoon on completing a charity run for Save the Children, which addresses childhood hunger.
GettyGarner captioned a clip of the “Legally Blonde” actress completing the run, “You are and have always been the world’s most supportive friend. I love you. Thank you for running for the kids!”
Witherspoon said in the video, “Ok I just finished a mile. And I did it because I was inspired by Jen Garner who is raising awareness and money for Save the Children. She’s running a mile a day for 67 days, and it’s to help children who are food insecure.”
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Violet Affleck Explains Fight With Mom Jennifer Garner After Brave Fire Evacuation