Director claims Steven Spielberg ‘refused’ to work with Ben Affleck because of ‘JLo thing’
A fellow film director has claimed that Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg 'refused' to work with Ben Affleck for a very specific reason.
Mike Binder recently sat down on the One Bad Movie podcast, where he opened up about how Spielberg allegedly didn't want to work with Hollywood A-lister Affleck on a movie due to a long-running grudge which kicked off during a family holiday.
Binder, the director for 2006’s Man About Town, claims he developed the film with Spielberg and that he was initially meant to direct it.
However, when Binder shared his keenness to cast Affleck in the lead role, he says that Spielberg changed his mind and allegedly backed out.
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Recalling the alleged incident, Binder said: "I call Steven, Steven says: 'No. Can’t do it with him. We just bombed with a movie with him, he’s got that whole J-Lo thing going on now, and I have other problems with him.'"
As for the 'J-Lo' thing, Affleck and Jennifer Lopez started dating in 2002 after working on Gigli, got engaged later that year, postponed their planned September 2003 wedding and split in early 2004, then reunited in 2021 and finally married in July 2022.
They didn’t stay together long after rekindling their romance as Lopez filed for divorce from Affleck on 20 August 2024, citing their separation on 26 April 2024, and their marriage was legally ended in early 2025.
According to Binder, those 'problems' dated back to when Affleck was dating Spielberg’s goddaughter, Gwyneth Paltrow.
The pair dated on and off for three years before breaking up in 1999.
On the podcast, he claimed that Spielberg told him they all went on a family holiday together, and that: "My son was a little boy, he was playing in the pool, and he got out of the pool, and Ben came in fully dressed, and my son pushed Ben into the pool. And Ben got really mad at him, and he came out of the pool and picked him up and threw him back into the pool, and made my son cry."
When Binder asked the cinematic icon why he was telling him that story, he said Spielberg explained: "I just don't like to work with him. Plus, his last two movies bombed. Find somebody else. Anyone but him. He’s cold as hell."
However, when Binder informed Affleck's agent that he wasn't able to cast him, the actor reportedly immediately called him back.
"Ben calls me up, he says, 'Did Steven Spielberg tell you I threw his kid in the water? Is that what happened? Is that why I'm not on your movie?' I said, 'No, he didn't say...' Yes he did! He told you I threw his kid in the water. That's why I'm not on the movie."
After that, Binder said he called Spielberg back and told him he was still eager to cast Affleck in the hit action-comedy.
According to Binder, Spielberg initially went along with it, but the next day he learned that DreamWorks was dropping the project, leading him to eventually make the film with Affleck for the independent production company Media 8, while distributor Lionsgate released it straight to DVD.
A number of years later, in 2013, Binder watched on as Affleck took home the Oscar for Best Picture for Argo.
"He beats Spielberg [for Lincoln], and he’s at the Academy Awards, and they're hugging," he recalled.
"I text him, I'm watching on the air, I go, 'Ben, tonight you could throw Spielberg’s whole family in the pool and get away with it.’ About an hour later, the phone rings, it’s Affleck at the Academy... he goes, 'That made me laugh so f***ing hard.'"
Tyla has reached out for comment to representatives for Steven Spielberg, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez.
Topics: Ben Affleck, Celebrity, Entertainment, Jennifer Lopez, TV And Film
Rhiannon Ingle