In 1997, actor-writer Ben Affleck became a household name after winning an Academy Award for co-writing Good Will Hunting with the film's star Matt Damon. The following year he appeared in Shakespeare in Love, which won Best Picture. Both films, which launched Affleck to immediate Hollywood royalty, were distributed by Harvey Weinstein's Miramax Films.
This year Weinstein was pummeled by a series of sexual assault allegations from dozens of women, throwing his businesses into chaos and turning himself into a pariah. Though Affleck hasn't worked with Weinstein in 15 years, he's naturally been forced to address his friendship with the disgraced Hollywood producer, along with allegations that the actor allegedly groped a TRL host in 2003.
Stephen Colbert has never been a late night host who lets his guests off easy. Whether they're politicians or actors or journalists, he asks the tough questions, as he began a tense interview with Affleck on the Late Show on Thursday night, telling him that they address the national conversations. In this case, it's sexual assault.
"It was awful to see the extent of these terrible crimes, and it was hideous," Affleck said of the allegations against Weinstein before pledging to donate any residual income from Weinstein films to RAINN and Film Independent.
But Colbert pressed Affleck, bringing up the allegations against the actor.
"What I was accused of by a woman was of touching her breast while I gave her a hug," Affleck said of the incident. "I don't remember it, but I absolutely apologized for it. I certainly don't think she's lying or making it up. It's just the kind of thing that we have to as men, I think—as we become more aware of this—be really, really mindful of our behavior and hold ourselves accountable and say, 'If I was ever part of the problem, I want to change. I want to be part of the solution,' and to not shy away from these uncomfortable or awkward or strange encounters that we might've had where we were sort of navigating and not knowing."
He added, "I'm not a spokesman, I'm not a superhero, I can't change it by myself. I can just be accountable for myself and for my actions."
