At a recent memorial service for their grandfather, Fin Affleck, the 15-year-old child of Hollywood stars Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, made a public appearance that prompted conservative backlash after they introduced their new preferred name.
Jennifer Garner's father William Jack Garner died April 1 at the age of 85. During the memorial service held at Christ Church United Methodist in Charleston, West Virginia, Fin took the stage to pay tribute to their grandfather.
In a poised manner, Fin introduced themselves with their chosen name, stating:
"Hello, my name is Fin Affleck."
Fin proceeded to read a poignant Bible verse.
You can watch the moment Fin introduced themselves in the video below.
Meet Fin Affleck !youtu.be
Despite the simplicity of this introduction, various media outlets have inaccurately portrayed it as Fin "coming out" as transgender.
The truth is far simpler: Fin merely shared their name, a significant aspect of their identity. Notably, Fin's name change had been previously observed by keen-eyed fans in January 2023 when they were spotted with their stepmother, Jennifer Lopez, with their name embroidered on their backpack.
But conservative critics like gender-critical influencer Oli London erroneously claimed that Fin "announced" their transition during the service.
Additionally, The Daily Mail ran a story that suggested Fin had come out as transgender, pointing to the respective children of actors Jamie Lee Curtis and Charlize Theron who've already come out.
Conservatives were quick to lash out at the teenager, some suggesting that by merely introducing themselves, they were making the day about them.
However, others were quick to come to the teen's defense.
Fin is close with their stepsibling Emme, the child of Jennifer Lopez.
The Garner, Affleck, and Lopez families have enjoyed a blended family arrangement since Ben Affleck married Lopez in 2022, twenty years after they initially dated.
Affleck and Garner co-parent their children after divorcing in 2018.
