Chris Affleck, the mother of actors Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck, has died at the age of 83, her family announced.
She passed away peacefully in her sleep on June 2 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December, with her obituary explaining that she was only given six months to live following her diagnosis. And with that, all she wanted to do was to see her grandson graduate from high school before her death, which she was able to do, having gone to watch him on May 31, 2026.
Chris graduated from Harvard University and spent 35 years as a public school teacher, ultimately retiring in 2008. She was also a civil rights advocate, having been one of the original Freedom Riders during the 1960s, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Chris helped her son break into Hollywood, connecting Ben with her former Harvard roommate, who was also a casting director. He began auditioning for commercials and television movies. Plus, when Ben won an Oscar in 1998 for Good Will Hunting, she was right there beside him.
“We were sitting next to our moms, and we won, and we kind of hugged our moms. I remember how everyone had made such a big thing out of it as if this was such a novelty,” Ben told Vanity Fair in a 2023 interview when remembering the moment. “I remember thinking, being insecure, like, ‘Why? Why is it weird that we’re bringing our moms?’ Who else do you think we would bring?”
Along with her two sons, Chris is survived by her five grandchildren.
Many fans paid tribute to her and shared well-wishes with Ben and Casey following the news.
“She lived an incredibly meaningful life. Beyond raising two major Oscar winners, she was an Ivy League graduate, a dedicated public school teacher for 35 years, and an original 1960s Freedom Rider. Rest in peace to an extraordinary woman,” one person wrote.
“est in peace, Chris Anne Boldt. A remarkable mother, teacher, and activist whose influence lives on through Ben and Casey. Sending strength to the entire Affleck family,” another person commented.