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Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's daughter Violet has demanded the imposition of 'mask mandates' in medical facilities and called for an end to all 'mask bans' in a passionate plea to the governing body for Los Angeles County.
The 18-year-old, citing her experience of contracting 'a post-viral condition' in 2019, urged the LA County Board of Supervisors 'to confront the long COVID crisis' by strengthening pandemic-era protections in hospitals and government buildings.
'I demand mask availability, air filtration and Far-UVC light in government facilitates, including jails and detention centers, and mask mandates in county medical faculties,' Violet, who is often seen wearing a face mask, said.
'You must expand the availability of high-quality free tests and treatment, and most importantly the county must oppose mask bans for any reason. They do not keep us safer.'
Violet's controversial speech was met with both praise and criticisms, with some hailing her as 'courageous' and others 'utterly deluded'.
Her plea comes just weeks after it emerged that Dr Anthony Fauci admitted the restrictions he put in place during lockdown didn't do much to 'slow the spread' of covid, and as lawmakers are signaling an openness to reinstating mask bans amid a rise in clashes at protests.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's daughter Violet, 18, attended the LA County Board of Supervisors meeting where she advocated for 'mask mandates' in hospitals
Violet — who's often seen wearing a face mask — shared her experience of contracting 'a post-viral condition' in 2019; Seen with Affleck and stepmom Jennifer Lopez in 2023
She is the eldest of the Argo director, 51, and the 13 Going on 30 star's, 52, three children; Seen with her mom in Los Angeles in 2023
Violet argued that anti-mask measures are making 'vulnerable members of our community less safe' and 'make everyone less able to participate in Los Angeles together'.
She also detailed her experience of contracting 'a post-viral condition' in 2019, and said she 'saw first-hand' that medicine doesn't always have answers to the 'consequences of even minor viruses'.
The teen, introducing herself, told the board: 'Hi, Violet Affleck, Los Angeles resident, first time voter, I'm 18.'
She then shared: 'I contracted a post-viral condition in 2019. I'm okay now, but I saw first-hand that medicine does not always have answers to the consequences of even minor viruses.'
The eldest daughter of the Argo director, 51, and the 13 Going on 30 star, 52 — who divorced in 2018 — then spoke about the COVID-19 pandemic and how 'one in ten infections leads to long COVID, which is a devastating neurological, cardiovascular illness that can take away people's ability to work, move, see and even think.'
'It stands to exacerbate our homelessness crisis, as well as the suffering of many people in our city. It hits communities of color, disabled people, elderly people, trans people, women and anyone in a public facing essential job the hardest.'
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is the governing body for Los Angeles County, where Violet resides. The Board holds regular meetings where the public can register to speak on specific issues.
Violet was slammed online for her controversial stance on masking, with some social media users accusing her of 'gaslighting her audience'.
One X user wrote: 'This Violet Affleck kid is utterly deluded. She is still wearing a mask. Masks never worked but in the height of Covid fear, she may have had an excuse that others are wearing one.'
'Is Violet Affleck the original Karen?' another user questioned.
One X user further went on to accuse the teen of 'gaslighting her audience', claiming that there are 'plenty of photos and videos of her NOT WEARING A MASK before, during and after the pandemic'.
'Why do people choose to believe the opposite of what their eyes prove?' they added.
Another questioned: 'Are there actual mask bans? Is that a thing?'
One X user said Violet was 'utterly deluded' for supporting mask mandates
Another joked that she may 'pass out' while wearing a mask during her speech
One furious critic alleged that Violet was 'gaslighting her audience', alleging she is sometimes seen without a face covering
Another questioned if Violet was the 'original Karen'
However, many X users issued their support for the teen, saying she is a 'hero' and 'smart kid'.
'At 18 she has more courage than some people will ever have in their entire lifetimes,' one person wrote.
'Amazing testimony! Violet is 100% on COVID Twitter. Thank you!' another added.
'I wish more celebrities had the courage of Violet Affleck. She's only 18 years old and is doing more than any politician.'
'Extremely impressive how much she fit into that one minute,' someone else chimed in.
'Violet Affleck is Ben Affleck's daughter. She continues to be even more impressive as a teenager. I can't wait to see what she does as an adult.'
Violet received plenty of praise online for her mask stance. 'At 18 she has more courage than some people will ever have in their entire lifetimes,' one person wrote
'I wish more celebrities had the courage of Violet Affleck. She's only 18 years old and is doing more than any politician,' another person added
'She continues to be even more impressive as a teenager. I can't wait to see what she does as an adult'
'Extremely impressive how much she fit into that one minute,' someone else chimed in
One person expressed that her famous parents must be very proud
Another called Violet 'amazing'
'Good on you Violet,' yet another commentator wrote
Violet has consistently been seen wearing a mask in the past years, though her parents never publicly explained why.
She was seen wearing one at Michael Rubin's White Party in 2023, recently in May 2024 while spending time with her mom, and while attending a Broadway show with Ben and her stepmom Jennifer Lopez.
Garner and Affleck also share Fin (formerly Seraphina), 15, and son Samuel, 12.
The former pair met on the set of the movie Pearl Harbor in the early 2000s, but didn't start dating until later.
In 2004, shortly after his first broken engagement to Lopez, the two sparked up a romance, before getting married in 2005.
Violet was born that same year in December. Fin followed in 2009 and Samuel in 2012.
The duo announced their separation in 2015 after nearly 10 years of marriage, and officially filed for divorce in 2017.
Garner has since moved on with businessman John Miller.
Affleck rekindled his romance with Lopez in April 2021. The two wed in Vegas in July 2022, followed by a lavish ceremony in Georgia in August.
However, the pair's marriage has been hit by split claims for the past two months.
Violet has consistently been seen wearing a mask in the past years, long past the COVID-19 mask mandates, though her parents never publicly explained why; seen with Ben in 2021
Garner and Affleck also share Fin (formerly Seraphina), 15, and son Samuel, 12; The actress is seen with her three kids in 2018
The former pair married in 2005. They announced their separation in 2015 after nearly 10 years of marriage, and officially filed for divorce in 2017; seen in May 2014
Violet's passionate plea to the LA County Board of Supervisors comes a month after the publication of Fauci's bombshell testimony in which he admitted to making up the six foot social distancing rule and other measures to 'protect' Americans from covid.
Republicans put out the full transcript of their sit down interview with Fauci from January just days before his public testimony in June.
Speaking to counsel on behalf of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic earlier this year, Fauci told Republicans that the six foot social distancing rule 'sort of just appeared' and that he did not recall how it came about.
'You know, I don't recall. It sort of just appeared,' he said according to committee transcripts when pressed on how the rule came about.
He added he 'was not aware of studies' that supported the social distancing, conceding that such studies 'would be very difficult' to do.
In addition to not recalling any evidence supporting social distancing, Fauci also told the committee's counsel that he didn't remember reading anything to support that masking kids would prevent COVID.
'Do you recall reviewing any studies or data supporting masking for children?' he was asked.
'I might have,' he responded before adding 'but I don't recall specifically that I did.'
Dr. Anthony Fauci,(pictured in November 2022) former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, revealed that he made up the six foot social distancing rule and other measures to 'protect' Americans from covid
The pandemic patriarch also testified that he had not followed any studies after the fact regarding the impacts that forced mask wearing had on children, of which there have been many.
And his answer was an ironic COVID-esque pun, 'I still think that's up in the air,' Fauci said about whether masking kids was a solid way to prevent transmission.
Kids' learning loss and social setbacks have been well documented, with one National Institute of Health (NIH) study calling the impact of mask use on students' literacy and learning 'very negative.'
And the impacts from social distancing caused 'depression, generalized anxiety, acute stress, and intrusive thoughts,' another NIH study found.
In May this year, a new study revealed that face masks haven't protected against Covid since at least 2022.
Researchers in the UK re-analyzed data on more than 100,000 people's habits and Covid test results during the pandemic.
They found that masks were linked to about a 30 percent lower risk of infections throughout 2021 - but the protective effect disappeared in February 2022.
That was when the Omicron variant took off and became dominant in the UK, and that summer in the US, which the researchers believe made the virus too infectious for masks to stop people getting infected.
While surveys show most UK adults are done with masks, they became highly politicized in the US.
A poll from 2023 found that 12 percent of Americans were still wearing a mask in public and they are common in hospitals and doctor's practices.
In other research, researchers looked at 78 studies involving more than a million people across the world. Results indicated that surgical masks reduced the risk of catching 'Covid or a flu-like illness' by just five percent - a figure so low it may not be statistically significant
Masks have yet again become politicized in America, with some elected officials suggesting they are open to reinstating decades-old mask bans following tense clashes during pro-Palestine protests.
Leaders in New York City and Los Angeles are among those considering mask bans, alleging that violent demonstrators use them to conceal their identities, NBC reported.
Republicans in North Carolina recently signed a mask restriction legislation into law. Supporters cited safety concerns at demonstrations, while critics argued the legislation inhibited free speech rights.
Similarly, student protesters at colleges in Florida, Ohio and Texas have been threatened by local police and school personnel that they could be arrested or face felony charges for wearing masks during demonstrations.
