Justice League star Ben Affleck under fire for making 'joke' about harassment allegation news during interview
The actor's co-stars fell awkwardly silent
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Ben Affleck has sparked controversy for seeming to joke about the many allegations of sexual harassment to have recently hit the news.
The actor was being interviewed alongside his Justice League co-stars when he made the remark in response to a question asked by MTV UK's Sophie Boyden.
After being asled which superheroes the cast - including Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher and Jason Momoa - would want to induct into the ensemble, Affleck said he'd pick Black Canary. Boyden then asked what the cast would do if a female character like Supergirl joined the team.
Affleck laughed and in what seemed to be a reference to the abuse allegations in Hollywood said: “Are you following the news at all?“ as his co-star fell awkwardly silent.
You can watch the moment below.
The actor, who criticised Weinstein following the initial allegations against the disgraced producer, was also accused of harassment by former One Tree Hill star Hilarie Burton who claimed Affleck groped her during a televised interview.
The first Justice League reviews are in ahead of the film's release this Friday (17 November) with critics branding it "consistently embarrassing" and "rotten."
Follow Independent Culture on Facebook
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments