Ben Affleck wasn’t at LA home when FBI came knocking, had to ‘track down’ reason for visit
Ben Affleck shared the "strange" reason the FBI visited his home amid the Palisades fire earlier this year.
FBI agents were photographed outside Affleck's home in January, and the "Argo" star revealed he wasn't even home at the time. Affleck only learned about the visit through media headlines.
"As it turns out, the FBI did, in fact, visit my house," he told GQ in the April cover issue. "But this is pretty revealing, right? So I come home and I see there’s a story with sources that say, ‘Hey, the FBI was at your house.’ I’m like, ‘Well, this is strange.’ So I call them and say, ‘Hey, FBI, were you at my house? Do you want to talk to me?’ ‘Oh, we don’t know.’ I get transferred along. Finally, somebody who is actually responsible for what was happening was like, ‘Oh, we had no idea that was your house.’ There was a break-in of a federal official’s home in that area."
"So the FBI went around and whoever lived there, the FBI rang their bell, but because there are photographers sitting outside and these guys have their FBI jackets on, then it’s: The FBI has visited your house."
BEN AFFLECK SETS RECORD STRAIGHT ABOUT JENNIFER LOPEZ SPLIT, PRAISES ‘WONDERFUL’ JENNIFER GARNER
FBI spokesperson Laura Eimiller confirmed that agents were stationed in the area in a statement shared with Fox News Digital at the time.
"Members of the FBI's Ground Intercept task force are conducting activity in the area of the Palisades fire. Agents and our local partners may be visible throughout the area, including at residences, for this reason," Eimiller explained.
BEN AFFLECK SPEAKS TO POLICE ABOUT SECURITY MATTER OUTSIDE HIS BRENTWOOD HOME DAYS AFTER FBI VISIT
However, Affleck noted he was told something different after tracking down the real story.
"Whoever wrote the story made up something about how it was related to an investigation about a drone that I guess did crash into one of the helicopters two or three miles up Mandeville Canyon," he explained to the outlet. "Turns out, no, it wasn’t about that. In fact, we were very far from where the drone was. So it’s like: You’ve seen this event about the FBI at my house. I had no idea. My only involvement was to track it down, figure it out."
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
The Palisades and Eaton fires scorched thousands of homes, businesses, cars and electronics, turning everyday items into hazardous ash made of pesticides, asbestos, plastics, lead, heavy metals and more.
Both ignited on Jan. 7, burning for weeks.
Twenty-nine people were killed in the Palisades and Eaton fires; 23,448 acres burned in the Palisades Fire and 6,833 businesses and homes were destroyed, according to Cal Fire.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Affleck confirmed his rental home and his permanent residence were not affected by the fires, despite reports to the contrary.
"I noticed that there’s been stories about me," he told GQ. "My house burning down and all these various things."
"I was thinking to myself that this person’s impression of my week is probably formed by three Daily Mail articles that are mostly absurd," Affleck said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.