Prior to Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s relationship starting back up last year and their recent marriage, the Justice League actor and Ana De Armas dated for nearly a year after working together on the thriller Deep Water. To say that the two stars got quite a bit of attention while they were an item would be an understatement. Now, De Armas has recently addressed the added public attention she received while with Affleck, even going as far as to call it “dangerous.”
Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas reportedly dated from early 2020 to early 2021. During their relationship, the Blonde actress was frequently the subject of paparazzi desires, often during casual dog walks in their Los Angeles neighborhoods. While de Armas shared that being with Affleck wasn’t the first time she was followed by the press, that situation was particularly uncomfortable to her. In de Armas’ words:
I have never been someone that wants any attention that’s not about my work. So when the attention is not about my work, it is upsetting, and it feels disrespectful, and it feels inappropriate, and it feels dangerous and unsafe. But, especially in this country, I don’t know how you can find protection. I don’t know how you can stop that from happening, other than leaving.
During her interview with Variety, Ana De Armas did not hold back when reflecting on the media frenzy that accompanied her time with Ben Affleck. Prior to becoming a Hollywood star, she worked in Spain, and she recalled having press and paparazzi after her then. However, becoming attached to one of the biggest actors in the world clearly brought on a whole new level of notoriety for her. Following the Deep Water stars’ breakup, De Armas moved from Hollywood to New York, in part to avoid swarming photographers, as she has shared prior.
Interestingly enough, the actress’ experience dating the Good Will Hunting alum fed into her latest role — that of Marilyn Monroe in Blonde. While speaking about her unwanted media attention, the actress also said that it was “one of the things” that brought her “closer” to tapping into the late Hollywood actress and her state of mind. Monroe was often seen as an object by the industry in spite of her acting talent in movies such as Some Like It Hot and The Seven Year Itch.
Ana De Armas completely transformed into Marilyn Monroe for the movie, so much so that when she first was in full costume on set, she recalls everyone in the room “crying” and feeling as if the starlet had returned. The movie, which received a rare NC-17 rating, has received mixed reviews by critics and audiences alike. The key criticism the film has received is that it’s allegedly exploitative toward the late Monroe, including with the movie’s many nude scenes of de Armas.
Nevertheless, Ana de Armas’ performance has been praised by so many, and she’s shaping up to be a major contender come awards season. It’s unfortunate that de Armas had to experience such scrutiny amid her romance with Ben Affleck, you have to applaud her for channelling those feelings of fear into a stellar performance.
Blonde will be available to stream with a Netflix subscription on September 28.