Ben Affleck is practicing tough love when it comes to keeping his kids grounded.
As you probably know, Ben shares three children with his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, and earlier this month, the Gone Girl actor had a very relatable dad moment caught on camera during an outing with his 13-year-old son, Samuel.
While at a sneaker-shopping convention on March 1, a viral clip showed Samuel setting his sights on a pair of Dior Air Jordan 1s, which retail for upwards of $6,000. “You like those ‘cause they’re expensive,” Ben told his son, who replied: “No, they’re tough! I’ve always said they look good.” Despite Sam’s defense, Ben was reluctant to make the purchase and suggested that the teen should start saving up to buy them himself, saying: “That’s a lot of lawns you gotta’ mow there!”
To put it into perspective, Ben is estimated to be worth a reported $150 million, so there’s no doubt he’d have been able to afford them. And with that in mind, people online praised the star’s decision to teach his son a lesson about hard work rather than just buying him the shoes. Now, speaking on the red carpet at the South by Southwest premiere of his upcoming movie, The Accountant 2, Ben joked about the interaction and doubled down on his call.
When asked if Samuel has made any progress with his law-mowing venture, Ben told Access Hollywood that his son’s interest in the expensive sneakers quickly faded. “That’s what happens when you tell a motherfucker you have to mow a lawn — all of a sudden, they don’t want those shoes anymore,” he joked before asking the interviewer if she could relate to the parenting struggle.
“There’s always some grift why I need to be buying [something for my kids],” Ben said as he shared the hilarious motto he uses to keep his children grounded. “I’m like, ‘You do not need thousand-dollar shoes!’ He’s like, ‘We have the money’ — I have the money, you’re broke!”
Of course, Ben isn’t the only celebrity who has taken this approach to raising humble children in Hollywood. In fact, his words echo similar comments from Shaquille O’Neal, who previously said he emphasized the importance of hard work by telling his kids: “We ain’t rich. I’m rich.”
So, once again, Ben is being praised online for giving his children the “best life lessons.” “That’s how you raise grounded kids in a millionaire household,” read one TikTok comment with over 25,000 likes. Someone else added: “If only more celebs [saw] it this way, we’d have A LOT LESS nepotism.”
It’s definitely strict, but I’m sure it’ll help in the long run! What are your thoughts on Ben’s motto? Should other celebrity parents be taking note? LMK in the comments.