Violet Affleck Urges Global Leaders to Sustain Masks and Indoor Air Protections in UN Speech

On Tuesday, Violet Affleck, 19, the eldest daughter of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, delivered an impassioned speech at the United Nations during the Healthy Indoor Air: A Global Call to Action event, urging world leaders to sustain mask mandates and other protections against airborne illness amid long COVID concerns, five years after the COVID-19 pandemic began to disrupt daily life and economies worldwide.

Wearing a face mask, she told attendees that leaders who say "we are the future" risk erasing the present for young people. "We are told by leaders across the board that we are the future," she said. "But when it comes to the ongoing pandemic, our present is being stolen right in front of our eyes."

"For adults, the relentless beat of back to normal — ignoring, downplaying and concealing both the prevalence of airborne transmission and the threat of long COVID — manifested in a series of choices," she continued. "Young people lacked both real choice in the matter and information about what was being chosen for us." The UN appearance occurred during the Healthy Indoor Air: A Global Call to Action event, which also highlighted the impact of airborne pollutants such as wildfire smoke and vehicle emissions on climate change and global health.

An Access Hollywood segment on Violet Affleck’s UN remarks aired in connection with coverage of the event.

Violet Affleck has long used her platform to raise public-health concerns. At a Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting last year, she described contracting "a post-viral condition" in 2019 and highlighted how medicine does not always have answers to the consequences of even minor viruses. "The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown that into sharper relief," she added, before urging officials to ensure access to masks for vulnerable residents.

Her activism extends to her college years; earlier this year she wrote an essay for Yale Global Health Review, where she is a freshman, drawing parallels between society’s response to the Los Angeles wildfires and the handling of COVID-19. In the Yale piece, she described the impact of long COVID on children and urged transparency about airborne risks and protective measures.

Ben Affleck and Garner are also parents to Seraphina, 16, and Samuel, 13. Violet appeared with Garner at a 2022 White House state dinner, a public appearance that highlighted the family in philanthropic and cultural events.

The UN event and Violet’s remarks come as governments debate how to balance reopening with safeguards in an era where long COVID remains a concern for millions worldwide. The speech is part of a broader conversation about indoor air quality, public health preparedness, and the long-term effects of the pandemic on younger generations.