Ben Affleck asks TV host to expose her breasts and mocks disabled person in resurfaced video clip

An old video showing Ben Affleck asking a Canadian journalist to expose her breasts and mocking a disabled person has been unearthed.

The footage which dates back to 2004 shows the Hollywood actor touching Anne-Marie Losique’s breast while she sits on his lap during a junket for Miramax film Jersey Girl.

The clip comes after Affleck was forced to release an apology for acting “inappropriately” in the wake of actress Hilarie Burton accusing him of groping her breasts on a separate TV show from 2003. The actor was accused of “grabbing” the former One Tree Hill actor when they appeared together on MTV’s TRL.

In the more recently resurfaced five-minute clip, Affleck says to the TV host: “They would like it better if you did this show topless, the station, wouldn’t they?”

The Batman actor, who has Ms Losique sat on his knee, then lifts and turns her in his lap so she is facing the camera.

“We could do the interview like this,” he says while tightly embracing her and nestling his face on her chest.

He adds: “You usually show a lot more cleavage than this. What’s the story? Why are you covering it up today?”

Losique, who was then a reporter for Montreal’s entertainment news show Box Office, responds by pointing out that it is Sunday morning but that does not stop Affleck from pressing the point.

“That never stopped you before from getting them titties out. Who you trying to fool, ‘Sunday morning’? You could be in church, you should have that rack on display,” he says.

At another point he appears to touch her nipple while suggesting they recreate a “Janet Jackson” moment – an allusion to the time the singer’s breast was flashed to an audience of 111 million at the 2004 Super Bowl.

“These breasts are really firm, suspiciously firm, they are like two giant stones,” he says.

Affleck also quips that she would start working at Fox in LA, saying: “You’d blend right in … they have a pole that they dance on.”

Later on in the clip, Affleck makes a joke about disabled people.

“Don’t make me look like I am retarded! I look like I have cerebral palsy,” he says in a joke French accent. “That maybe offends. We cannot offend - only in America.”

Losique has now said that Montreal audiences are “more open about sexually explicit jokes".

“Humour is nice when it’s uncomfortable. Sometimes it crosses the PC line. As long as the intent is not to hurt anybody,” she told Variety on Wednesday.

Losique also said Affleck, who was engaged to Lopez at the time, never made any advances off-camera.

She also defended Affleck in a seperate interview and insisted the footage has been taken out of context.

"This was for the camera," she told The Hollywood Reporter. "You have to understand that we have done dozens and dozens of interviews like that."

“It was for a show I was producing, so I was not at all a victim. When the cameras rolled, we would start to do that game. As soon as it stopped rolling, there was none of that. He never touched me in any improper way. He was very respectful, I must say."

​In a 2001 interview, she said it became a tradition for her to sit on his lap whenever she spoke to him.

“It’s something that started a long time ago,” she told the Los Angeles Times. “Now I’m always on his lap. I don’t have to prepare anything. It’s very easy. But I never get to ask him any questions. Never in five years.”

Affleck has gained increasing attention in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal which has seen a slew of women come forward to accuse the disgraced film producer of sexual assault and misconduct.

Rose McGowan accused Affleck of lying in his statement regarding the sexual assault and harassment allegations against Weinstein.

Affleck, who has worked with Weinstein on numerous occasion, shared a screenshot of a Facebook post which condemned his “unacceptable” actions.

“I am saddened and angry that a man who I worked with used his position of power to intimidate, sexually harass, and manipulate women over decades,” Affleck wrote. “This is completely unacceptable.”

But McGowan - one of the women revealed to have reached a settlement with Weinstein - has since suggested that Affleck knew of Weinstein's behaviour. She tweeted a message of the words she claims Affleck spoke after he found out what had allegedly occurred.

According to McGowen, the words were: “Goddamnit! I told him to stop doing that!”

McGowan continued: “You said that to my face. The press conf I was made to go to after assault [sic]. You lie.”

“Ben Affleck f*ck off,” she added.

Weinstein has denied many of the allegations and issued a vehement denial over three allegations of rape which emerged on Tuesday.

In a statement on Tuesday, Weinstein's spokeswoman, Sallie Hofmeister, told the New York Times: “Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr Weinstein. Mr Weinstein has further confirmed that there were never any acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances. He will not be available for further comments, as he is taking the time to focus on his family, on getting counselling and rebuilding his life.”

Weinstein has separately issued an apology and said he is going to get therapy. In a statement last week he said: “I appreciate the way I’ve behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologise for it. Though I’m trying to do better, I know I have a long way to go.”

The Independent contacted a representative of Affleck for comment.