Hollywood star Ben Affleck accidentally gave the public a rare glimpse of his infamous back tattoo while out in Santa Monica this week. The 53-year-old actor, known for his roles in major blockbusters, bent over near a car door, causing his off-white shirt to ride up and his jeans to hang low, revealing a hint of the colourful phoenix design that has sparked debate for nearly a decade.
The Tattoo's Controversial History
Affleck first debuted the massive phoenix tattoo in the summer of 2015, with the full design unveiled that December. At the time, he insisted to Extra's Mario Lopez that the ink was "fake for a movie," claiming, "I actually do have a number of tattoos but I try to have them in places where you don't have to do a lot of cover up they get sort of addictive, tattoos, after awhile." However, the truth emerged in March 2018 when he was spotted shirtless on a beach while filming Triple Frontier, confirming the tattoo was indeed real.
Ex-Wives' Critical Reactions
The phoenix tattoo drew sharp criticism from both of Affleck's ex-wives. Jennifer Garner told Vanity Fair in February 2016, "You know what we would say in my hometown about that? 'Bless his heart.' A phoenix rising from the ashes. Am I the ashes in this scenario? I take umbrage. I refuse to be the ashes." Similarly, Jennifer Lopez declared it "awful" on Watch What Happens Live that same month, stating, "I would tell him that! Like, what are you doing? It has too many colors. His tattoos always had too many colors. They shouldn’t be so colorful, you know what I mean? They should be cooler."
Affleck's Eventual Defence
After years of denial, Affleck finally defended the tattoo during a 2019 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. When DeGeneres noted, "Your back tattoo got a lot of attention," he admitted, "Not so much positive! It's a phoenix." After her quip, "rising from your a**," Affleck continued, "I was about to say it represents something really important to me! It's meaningful to me. I like it. It's not something I sort of kept private. The sentiment ran against... but I love my tattoo, I'm happy with it."
Media Backlash and Personal Response
The tattoo faced further scrutiny in a March 2018 New Yorker piece titled 'The Great Sadness of Ben Affleck,' which prompted a personal reply from the actor on X, then Twitter: "I’m doing just fine. Thick skin bolstered by garish tattoos." In February 2020, he explained to The New York Times that he initially lied about the tattoo due to feeling resentful about the invasive circulation of the image, saying, "I could have said 'That’s none of your business.' I guess I got a kick out of messing with Extra. 'Is your tattoo real or not real?' Of course, it’s real! No, I put a fake tattoo on my back and then hid it."
This recent sighting in Santa Monica serves as a reminder of the tattoo's enduring notoriety, highlighting how a personal choice can become a persistent topic of public fascination and critique in celebrity culture.
