Violet Affleck takes her mask off after impassioned speech about mandates – as she bonds with stepmom Jennifer Lopez who spends THOUSANDS on jewelry in Hamptons amid Ben marriage woes

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner’s daughter Violet, 18, enjoyed a bonding experience with her stepmother Jennifer Lopez in the Hamptons this weekend.

The pair were seen chatting warmly at the East Hampton Antiques & Design Show on Saturday, in spite of rumors that JLo and Ben are on the brink of divorce.

Violet, who recently delivered an impassioned speech demanding the return of mask mandates in medical facilities, wore a face covering to this weekend’s event but eventually removed it while walking around outdoors with a friend.

Meanwhile, JLo was spotted wandering among the antique shops that were set up under white tents, and she spent a particularly long stretch of time at one stand where individual jewelry items were selling for thousands of dollars apiece.

Later that day, JLo snapped a selfie in which she could be seen beaming in the front seat of her car, with Violet and her friend sitting in the back.

JLo posted the selfie to her Insta Stories, reassuring her fans that her connection with her stepchildren remains strong in spite of her marital woes with their father.

Saturday’s exhibition was held outside of the Historic Mulford Farm Museum in order to benefit the East Hampton Historical Society.

JLo spent at least an hour at the event, where she was accompanied by her longtime manager and confidant Benny Medina.

Benny and JLo’s association stretches back to the 1990s, and she even named him godfather to her own 16-year-old twins Max and Emme.

After their visit to the East Hampton Antiques & Design Show, JLo, Violet and the latter’s friend were seen paying a visit to a local ice cream shop.

Violet placed her mask back on before going indoors, and was also seen with her face covered when she emerged from the venue. 

The Jenny For The Block hitmaker opted for a fluttery white backless blouse, teamed with a set of flared jeans that brought back memories of the 1970s.

Sweeping her caramel locks up into a bun, she accessorized with a sleek set of sunglasses and lent herself a touch of added stature with wedges.

JLo sharpened her agelessly winning features with makeup and brought the look together with a leather-accented wicker handbag.

When she and her stepdaughter popped by the ice cream shop, the pop star opted for what appeared to be a vanilla scoop in a cone. 

JLo’s sighting with Violet comes amid a blizzard of speculation that her marriage to Ben is on the rocks, just two years after they exchanged vows. 

Pouring fuel on the fire, it emerged this week that the couple have publicly listed their marital home in Beverly Hills for approximately $68 million. 

A source exclusively informed DailyMail.com this week that Ben and JLo’s respective children have been working behind the scenes to help them repair their marriage.

‘The kids think Jennifer and Ben are really, deeply in love, like soul mates and they don’t want them to divorce. They want them to work it out for better or for worse, like their vows said.’ the insider explained.

‘And they do feel that the two should continue counseling and talking it out, even if it is painful. They feel like if they do and say the right things that there could be more peace,’ the source continued.

The children are purportedly hoping that Ben and JLo will be able to get ‘back together’ before the pop star celebrates her 55th birthday on July 24.

Their strategy has been to talk to both of the spouses and ‘highlight the positive attributes each have,’ as well as to try and improve Ben’s attitude.

‘He is a prickly one, he can be grumpy, that is true for sure, he is not a happy go lucky kind of dude, even if he is very intelligent and funny. The kids are trying to get him to lighten up and let stuff go,’ said the source. 

Violet’s latest outing with her stepmother comes after it emerged her parents set strict guidelines for her mask mandate speech – demanding that she thoroughly educate herself on the subject and wait until she was 18.

The teenager called for an end to all ‘mask bans’ in medical facilities and government buildings during an impassioned plea to the governing body for Los Angeles County earlier this week in which she detailed her experience of contracting ‘a post-viral condition’ in 2019.

Despite growing up in the limelight, she has maintained a modicum of silence, but reportedly decided to speak out publicly to quash the persistent speculation around her prolific mask wearing, and the accusations of ‘hypochondria.’ 

‘She’s wanted to do this for some time, but her parents wanted her to wait until she was 18,’ an insider told DailyMail.com exclusively. ‘This shows she is choosing this on her own and not doing it because she is told to.’

The insider confirmed that her parents used their influence to facilitate the situation as they continued: ‘Her parents support her on whatever she chooses to do and were able to pull some strings to get her in front of the LA County Board of Supervisors. They are proud of her.’

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is the governing body for Los Angeles County, where Violet resides. The Board holds regular meetings where the public can register to speak on specific issues. 

During her speech, Violet cited her experience of contracting ‘a post-viral condition’ as she urged the board ‘to confront the long COVID crisis’ by strengthening pandemic-era protections in hospitals and government buildings.

‘I demand mask availability, air filtration and Far-UVC light in government facilitates, including jails and detention centers, and mask mandates in county medical faculties,’ Violet said.

‘You must expand the availability of high-quality free tests and treatment, and most importantly the county must oppose mask bans for any reason. They do not keep us safer.’ 

The source explained that Violet has grown tired of the constant questions about why she wears a face mask outdoors. 

‘Violet is constantly having to defend her mask wearing and, in doing this, she has to discuss her personal health issues over and over,’ the insider explained. ‘She gets called a hypochondriac, paranoid and other names simply because she is protecting her health, and this was very bothersome to her for years.

‘There were also ridiculous rumors that she was covering her face to avoid having to talk to people who recognize her easily, being she looks just like her famous mom. 

‘By speaking out this gave her the opportunity to stand up for something she believes in and, at the same time, silence everyone’s chatter.’

A second source close to the situation explained how Ben and Jennifer have worked hard as co-parents to raise their children to fight for what they feel is right.

‘Ben and Jen are spectacular parents and have taught their kids to stand for what they believe in,’ the source began. 

‘Violet has been championing the mask mandate for so long that all they wanted from her was to study everything surrounding it, learn from it so when she talks about it, she is well informed so that others can benefit from her education on the subject.’

The insider also revealed that her parents were thrilled to see their growing child be so willing to use her voice to fight for others as they continued: ‘They are proud of her for taking this stand because it means so much to her. Violet is seeking to do good, and using her voice as a beacon for change. Ben and Jen find that to be incredible. 

‘They still can’t believe she is 18, but the woman she has become and is becoming is something that they are extremely proud of and they hope she continues to speak on things that are important to her moving forward.’

Unsurprisingly, Violet’s unexpected speech was met with both praise and criticism, with some hailing her ‘courageous’ while others branded her ‘utterly deluded.’ 

Her plea came just weeks after it emerged that Dr Anthony Fauci admitted the restrictions he put in place during lockdown didn’t do much to ‘slow the spread’ of Covid, and as lawmakers are signaling an openness to reinstating mask bans amid a rise in clashes at protests.

Violet argued that anti-mask measures are making ‘vulnerable members of our community less safe’ and ‘make everyone less able to participate in Los Angeles together.’

She also said  she ‘saw first-hand’ that medicine doesn’t always have answers to the ‘consequences of even minor viruses’ when she went through her own health issue in 2019.

Violet’s mask wearing has become an albeit hot topic of conversation online with neither Violet or her parents publicly addressing it.

She was notably seen wearing a mask at Michael Rubin’s White Party in 2023 and more recently while attending a Broadway show with Ben and her stepmom Jennifer Lopez.

She appeared to make a nod to her condition in May 2024 when she was pictured wearing a mask and carrying Steven Thrasher’s award-winning 2022 book, The Viral Underclass while spending time with her mom. 

Violet’s siblings Fin (formerly Seraphina), 15, and Samuel, 12, have not been pictured wearing masks.

The teens’ parents, who first met on the set of Pearl Harbor, tied the knot in June 2005, just six months before Violet was born.

They announced their separation in 2015 after nearly 10 years of marriage, and officially filed for divorce in 2017.

Jennifer has since moved on with businessman John Miller, while Ben rekindled his romance with Lopez in April 2021. 

The two wed in Vegas in July 2022, followed by a lavish ceremony in Georgia the following month.

But their marriage has been plagued by split claims for the past two months, with the stars no longer living together.

Lopez is residing in their $60million Bel Air, California mansion while Ben is staying at his $100K a month rental located near his ex-wife Jennifer.

The Argo star has been pictured spending quality time with his children in recent weeks, with Violet wearing a mask during the outings where she has joined her father. 

Last month, sources told DailyMail.com that Jennifer has made a conscious decision to step back from the ‘circus’ surrounding her ex-husband’s marriage to Lopez after it unearthed ‘painful’ divorce memories for the actress. 

Insiders had previously revealed how the Elektra star had been acting as a ‘counselor’ to the beleaguered pair as she desperately tried to help them fix their alleged issues.