Violet Affleck Explains Her Personal Reasons for Masking in a Fiery Political Speech

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You may have noticed that Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck’s daughter, Violet Affleck, is often pictured wearing a mask when appearing out in public. Well, in a recent Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting, the 18-year-old not only explained why she often masks but used her voice to oppose mask bans and advocate for mask availability and other COVID-prevention solutions in all government facilities.

In a video shared on Twitter, Affleck spoke up to share her perspective as a first-time voter and Los Angeles County resident.

“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,” she began. “The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown that into sharper relief.”

In her short speech, Affleck noted that 1 in 10 COVID infections leads to long COVID and made a point of highlighting how this “devastating neurological cardiovascular illness” disproportionately impacts marginalized communities, including LA’s homeless population, as well as “communities of color, disabled people, elderly people, trans people, women, and anyone in a public facing job.”

“To confront the Long COVID crisis I demand mask availability, air filtration, and far-UVC light in government facilities, including jails and detention centers, and mask mandates in county medical facilities,” she continued. “We must expand 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 the vulnerable members of our community less safe and make everyone less able to participate in Los Angeles together.”

This is the first time we’ve heard Violet Affleck speak out about masking and long COVID, but it’s not the first time she’s made a statement about it. In May she was photographed by paparazzi holding a copy of The Viral Underclass by Steven Thrasher, per The Cut, a 2022 nonfiction book about disease and inequality.

I couldn’t tell you for sure, but there’s certainly good reason to believe that Affleck was angling the book’s cover toward the cameras on purpose. If you can’t avoid getting papped, you might as well use the cameras to spread the word about a cause that matters to you.

Something tells me this isn’t the last of Violet Affleck’s political advocacy.

Originally Appeared on Glamour