Violet Affleck, who is the eldest daughter of Ben Affleck and his ex-wife Jennifer Garner, has bravely spoken out about her health, opening up about the real reason she often chooses to wear a face covering.
Violet, 18, is regularly photographed in public wearing a face mask. Last year, she was snapped wearing the face covering at a party with her dad and stepmum J-Lo, as well as donning them while running errands with her friends and family.
While many fans thought it was the teen's attempt to gain some form of privacy while out with her showbiz parents, Violet has now revealed that it's the result of a secret health crisis.
Candidly opening up during a powerful speech to demand mask mandates in LA hospitals, Violet revealed to the LA County Board of Supervisors that she had contracted a 'post-viral condition' back in 2019.
Insisting that she was 'okay now,' Violet explained to the board 'I saw first-hand that medicine doesn't always have answers to the consequences of even minor viruses,' she explained, saying the pandemic threw that into even sharper focus.
'One in 10 infections leads to long COVID, which is a devastating neurological and cardiovascular illness that can take away people's ability to work, see, move and even think.'
The teen had a long list of demands to help 'confront the long COVID crisis,' which included mask availability, air filtration, and Far-UVC light in facilities such as jails and detention centres.
She also added, 'We 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, they make vulnerable members of our community less safe.'
Following Violet's emotional speech, many took to X (formerly Twitter) to praise her for speaking out so candidly about not just her own health, but that of others.
One wrote, 'Violet nailed this! I'm showing this to my 7 & 9 year old girls as a great example of a smart, thoughtful and self-assured young woman doing what she knows is right, even in the face of massive societal pressure to cave, and using her voice & privilege for the greater good.'
One added, 'I wish more celebrities had the courage of Violet Affleck. She's only 18 years old and is doing more than any politician,' as another agreed, 'She continues to be even more impressive as a teenager. I can't wait to see what she does as an adult.'
What is a post-viral condition?
The post-viral condition associated with Covid is often referred to as 'long COVID'. It can affect people of all ages, with NHS England describing the most common symptoms as including 'extreme tiredness (fatigue), feeling short of breath, muscle aches, difficulty concentrating and joint pain.' Another common symptom is brain fog.
Mayo Clinic00176-3/fulltext){href='https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(23)00176-3/fulltext' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'} have also noted the impact long Covid can have on people around the world, explaining 'In the United States, PCC has caused widespread unemployment and billions in lost wages.'
Violet's post-viral infection was before the pandemic, but celebrities who have faced health battles following the pandemic include Gwyneth Paltrow, who has dealt with 'chronic stuff' after contracting COVID early on, as well as Salma Hayek, who almost died from the infection.
Who is Violet Affleck?
Violet is the eldest daughter of Hollywood stars Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner. The couple had three children during their time together, also sharing daughter Seraphina, 15, and son Samuel, 12. The couple split in 2015, after 10 years of marriage. Violet also has two step-siblings, Max and Emma, both 16, from her dad's marriage to singer Jennifer Lopez.
The teen is set to head to college after the summer - expected to attend the prestigious Yale university. Opening up about how her lookalike daughterwas handling planning her college years, Jennifer said, 'She's handling it like a champ. She's in control and I'm not having to ask her, "Are you doing this or are you doing that?" It is exciting. I can see the stress, but stress and excitement go hand in hand.'
Charlotte Roberts is a News and Entertainment Writer for Grazia, writing interviews and features around everything pop culture.