Violet Affleck Details Arguing with Mom Jen Garner in a Hotel as Their Palisades Neighborhood Burned Down

In a powerful and deeply personal essay published in Yale’s Global Health Review, Violet Affleck the daughter of actors Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck opened up about a pivotal moment during the recent wildfires that devastated the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. The article sheds light not only on a family’s experience during a natural disaster but also on a growing generational divide in understanding and responding to climate change.

As wildfires swept through their community in early 2025, Violet and her family were forced to evacuate their home and seek shelter in a hotel. Amid the chaos and uncertainty, tensions rose. Violet recalls a particularly emotional argument with her mother, actress Jennifer Garner, who was visibly shocked by the destruction. Garner described the loss and damage to their neighborhood as “unthinkable,” struggling to come to terms with the devastation.

But for Violet, now 18 and an emerging voice in climate activism, the disaster was not surprising it was expected. “I was surprised by her surprise,” she wrote. “I’ve lived my whole life in Los Angeles. I knew this would happen. I knew the heat and the wind and the droughts would all converge. I didn’t understand why people kept calling it bad luck.”

The clash between mother and daughter underscored a broader societal disconnect that Violet says is holding back real climate action. She argues that many older generations still view extreme weather events as isolated tragedies rather than symptoms of a systemic, accelerating crisis. This perspective, she believes, is dangerously out of touch.

In the essay, Violet also reflects on a conversation with her younger brother, Samuel, who asked whether global warming could really make the wind blow faster. It was a moment that captured both the confusion and curiosity young people feel in the face of a warming world and highlighted how much work still needs to be done in public climate education.

Beyond her personal story, Violet’s essay calls for climate policy rooted in justice, equity, and public health. She draws parallels to the COVID-19 pandemic, pointing to the coordinated public response and the potential for similar efforts to address climate change. “Climate change is existential and accelerating,” she writes, urging leaders to move beyond reactive policies and focus on prevention, community resilience, and systemic reform.

Violet’s voice represents a growing movement of young people demanding urgency and accountability. Through her writing, she not only captures the emotional toll of the climate crisis but also the frustration of a generation ready to lead but still waiting for older generations to truly listen.