Within the past few days, it’s been reported that Ben Affleck and his family have experienced a major loss. His and Casey Affleck’s mother, Chris Affleck, unfortunately passed away at the age of 83. The matriarch – whose support of her family has been well documented – reportedly died a month prior to the news breaking on July 24 and, since then, information has been released per medical reports. Among the pieces of information that have now become public is the fact that Chris was visiting Ben at the time that she died.
This detail comes from Chris Affleck’s official death certificate, which was obtained by Us Weekly. According to the outlet, the certificate specifically states that Chris was “visiting son’s residence” at 10:52 a.m. when she died on June 2. Chris reportedly died from cardiopulmonary arrest, and she’d also been battling pancreatic adenocarcinoma (or pancreatic cancer) for the last several months of her life. As of this writing, neither representatives for Ben nor Casey have spoken out about the matter.
By the time the death certificate was filed, Affleck’s remains were reportedly being transported to Earth Funeral, which is based in Las Vegas. It was also stated that an autopsy reportedly was not performed.
Considering what’s been said over the years, Ben Affleck and his mother were quite close. That relationship most prominently came into focus back in 1998, when he and Matt Damon escorted their mothers to the Academy Awards. It was there that the pair won Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting and, in a very memorable Oscars speech, they thanked their mothers.
From a familial standpoint, Chris Affleck was also a grandmother to Ben three children, whom he shares (and co-parents) with ex-wife Jennfier Garner. Chris was also grandmother to Casey’s two sons with fellow actor and ex-spouse Summer Phoenix. That aside, though, Chris was also a long-time educator with a degree from Harvard University. Affleck’s obituary, as shared by The Boston Globe, said the following about her dedication to working within the school system:
One of the first Radcliffe women to receive a Harvard diploma, she eschewed a world of higher paying careers to spend 35 years as a public school teacher. Every student, whether just arrived from Haiti or Cambridge upper crust, was a cherished citizen of her classroom republic, equal to each other and to herself.
When it comes to Ben Affleck, the multihyphenate has been busy throughout the year thus far. He previously marked the release of his well-received movie, The Rip, which became available to Netflix subscription holders. He’s also looking towards the release of another production from that streamer amid the 2026 movie schedule. That production is an action thriller called Animals.
It goes without saying, of course, that Affleck will now have more personal priorities to handle in the wake of his mother’s passing. Hopefully, he and his loved ones receive the privacy they need as they mourn their loss. On that note, we at CinemaBlend also extend our condolences to the Affleck family at this time.
