Violet Affleck Accompanies Parents Ben and Jen to Capitol Hill
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner gave their daughter Violet a firsthand lesson in social studies on Thursday.
The 9-year-old accompanied her parents as Ben, who often advocates for causes close to his heart, testified before a Senate subcommittee about the need for foreign aid in Africa on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Her younger siblings, Serafina, 6, and Samuel, 3, did not attend.
Ben was there to support the advocacy group he founded, the Eastern Congo Initiative, but his appearance wasn't all serious. The 42-year-old actor and director made sure to throw in a reference to his role as the caped crusader in the upcoming movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. As he began his talk, he made a joke aimed at Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, who's made cameos in three Batman films over the years. "I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge my co-star in Batman," he cracked.
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Violet's mom — no stranger to advocacy herself — has opened up about her philosophy on educating her daughters. "I want my girls to love math," she told Glamour last November. "I want them to think that being a scientist is the coolest possible job on the planet. I want them to not be afraid to lean toward their femininity; to love carrying a baby doll around; to know how to bake. And to be able to kick a guy's ass — that's why they've been in karate since they were little!"
