This TV Host Once Defended a Controversial Ben Affleck Interview: "It Was for a Show"

Ben Affleck, the famous actor and director, found himself in hot water years ago over a controversial interview he did in 2004. The issue resurfaced in 2017 after Affleck condemned Harvey Weinstein for allegations of sexual misconduct. This drew attention back to Affleck's own past behavior during some old TV interviews.

The interview in question was with Canadian TV host Anne-Marie Losique while Affleck was promoting his movie Jersey Girl in 2004. In the clip, Losique sits on Affleck's lap as he makes several sexually charged comments.

He suggests the show would be better if she did it topless, asks why she's not showing more cleavage, and tightly hugs her while commenting on her breasts, as per Hollywood Reporter. The entire interaction had an overtly sexual nature. When the video recirculated in 2017 amidst the Weinstein scandal, some saw it as evidence of Affleck's own inappropriate conduct towards women.

However, Losique came to Affleck's defense, stating the interview was meant as an act and should not be taken out of context. In her words, "This was for the camera...When the cameras rolled, we would start to do that game. As soon as it stopped rolling, there was none of that."

Losique emphasized they were playing up the interaction for television with about 20 crew members present. She said Affleck never actually touched her improperly and was respectful off-camera. While she understood the delicate situation given the serious allegations surfacing in Hollywood, Losique felt it was "blown out of proportion" and "people like fishing for anything."

She further explained, "This is completely out of context. I would like this to not have any negative impact on him. I find it sad." Nevertheless, the controversy grew when another old clip emerged showing Affleck potentially groping actress Hilarie Burton during a 2003 interview on MTV's TRL.

Burton, who was 21 at the time, tweeted she "didn't forget" about the incident after someone brought it up following Affleck's Weinstein statement. Affleck issued an apology, saying he "acted inappropriately," as per BBC.

The dual videos painted an unflattering picture of how Affleck had conducted himself during interviews in the early 2000s. Some felt Affleck was downplaying the serious issue when he briefly laughed and made a joke about the sexual harassment scandals in a later Justice League interview, as per Scroll.

Affleck was ultimately compelled to apologize for some of his prior actions toward women that were seen as inappropriate in hindsight. While Losique clarified she was not a victim, saying, "It was for a show I was producing, so I was not at all a victim" in her interaction with Affleck, the actor's past conduct opened him up to criticism at a time when issues of sexual misconduct were being talked about more openly in Hollywood.