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Ben Affleck calls out the media in a GQ interview following reports of his encounter with the FBI over a drone crash in the wake of his divorce from Jennifer Lopez. Reports of the FBI visit to Affleck’s Brentwood home dominated the headlines for weeks, adding to his seemingly growing list of conflicts as he battled his post-divorce phase. At the time, sources claimed the feds swooped down on the actor’s home in connection with an incident involving a private drone crashing into a firefighter jet helping to quell the then-raging LA wildfires.
Although the actor and his reps failed to address this visit or the concerns that the fires affected his home, he is now sharing his side of the story, setting the record straight for good. Ben Affleck recounted the incident in his new GQ cover story, ruling the press’ account of events as one big made-up story. Asked about the supposed FBI visit to his house, Affleck explained that he only found out about the said visit through the tabloids like everyone else, prompting him to reach out to the feds for confirmation. The star divulged,
“As it turns out, the FBI did, in fact, visit my house. But this is pretty revealing, right? So I come home and I see there’s a story with sources that say, ‘Hey, the FBI was at your house.’ I’m like, ‘Well, this is strange.’ So I call them and say, ‘Hey, FBI, were you at my house? Do you want to talk to me?’ ‘Oh, we don’t know.’ I get transferred along.”
Affleck Reveals True Story Behind FBI Home Visit
Ben Affleck revealed that after much inquiry, an FBI agent eventually explained the situation to him, saying they indeed visited the Brentwood building, but had no idea he lived there. The agent also explained the actual reason behind the visit, which shockingly had nothing to do with an ongoing drone investigation. Contrariwise, they visited the area in response to a break-in at a federal official’s home in the neighborhood.
Ben Affleck explained to GQ that the FBI went around ringing the bells of “whoever lived there,” and the paps happened to capture them in action, hence the headline. However, aside from the fed’s presence in the Brentwood complex with photos to back it up, pretty much everything else about the initial story that flooded the tabloids was fake. Calling out the “made up” reports, he divulged,
“Whoever wrote the story made up something about how it was related to an investigation about a drone that I guess did crash into one of the helicopters, two or three miles up Mandeville Canyon. Turns out, no, it wasn’t about that. In fact, we were very far from where the drone was. So it’s like: You’ve seen this event about the FBI at my house. I had no idea. My only involvement was to track it down, figure it out.”
What the FBI Said About Brentwood Area Investigation
Interestingly, Ben Affleck’s words are a stark contrast from a confirmation statement from the FBI back in January. Page Six reported at the time that a rep for the FBI press relations office disclosed the reason behind the visit to the Brentwood area amid the LA wildfires. According to the outlet, they confirmed that members of the FBI Ground Intercept task force stormed the area as part of an investigation “relative to unauthorized drone activity.” The rep also affirmed that several federal agents would be visible at various residences in the area as a result.
Another source revealed that the FBI agents stopped by Affleck’s Brentwood home in search of CCTV footage that possibly captured the private drone that damaged one of the firefighting aircraft. Affleck’s varying account of the story on the GQ cover story marks his first time directly addressing the media coverage surrounding his life in Brentwood post-Jennifer Lopez divorce. He utilized the interview to dispel other wrongly-concocted reports, including rumors of his house burning down in the fires, and his reportedly strained relationship with the Can’t Get Enough crooner.
Ben Affleck Addresses Jennifer Lopez Divorce
Affleck emphasized how much respect he had for Lopez, regardless of what the tabloids said, commending her for handling the spotlight better than he did. He went on to clarify that their breakup had nothing to do with Lopez’s documentary, The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, as widely speculated. Ben described their marital struggles as two adults trying to figure out life and relationships. While he felt embarrassed to discuss this side of their failed union in public, it apparently drew him closer to his first wife and mother of his kids, Jennifer Garner.
The co-parents, who now reside a few miles apart in Brentwood, have attended several events together, mostly in support of their kids. They also spent Thanksgiving distributing food to the homeless, and briefly holed up together in Garner’s home with their kids after Affleck was forced to evacuate his $20.5 million Brentwood property amid the fires ravaging the Pacific Palisades area. With her supportive presence, his Green Lantern co-star has played a major role in helping Ben Affleck move past his divorce from Jennifer Lopez, and the ensuing drama.
