Instagram ‘banned’ him twice, Ben Affleck says — and the reason may surprise you

When Ben Affleck finally tried Instagram, he kept it tiny — six followers total — and still got booted. In a new interview with Variety published Wednesday, Oct. 7, the 54-year-old said the app’s systems twice decided he wasn’t really him and locked him out.

“I got banned from Instagram twice for impersonating myself. I had six followers. It was my kids and some of their friends. It was just an excuse for me to look at [my kids’] social media accounts.”

Affleck, who shares Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17, and Samuel, 13, with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, said the misadventure only reinforced why he avoids a personal online presence. He grew up before life was lived on-camera, and he values keeping parts of himself off the internet — especially as a dad peeking in on what his kids are up to.

He also pushed back on the idea that actors need to be extremely online, arguing the craft benefits from a little remove. Affleck name-checked Daniel Day-Lewis, Meryl Streep, Viola Davis and Denzel Washington as examples of performers whose work wouldn’t be helped by a constant feed, and said preserving some mystery still matters.

The new Netflix movie

Affleck is out promoting Animals, his new Netflix thriller that started streaming Oct. 9, 2026 . He directed, stars, and co-wrote the screenplay with Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray. The story follows a Los Angeles mayoral candidate and his wife whose son is abducted, forcing the couple into a frantic ransom scramble that dredges up painful secrets.

• Kerry Washington — Abigail
• Gillian Anderson
• Adriana Paz
• Ray Fisher
• Christopher Woodley
• Matt Gerald
• Jacob Estrada
• Luis Gerardo Méndez
• Steven Yeun

Animals is streaming now on Netflix.