Government officials made a surprise visit to the home of Ben Affleck, 52, over the weekend as wildfires raged in the surrounding area.
TMZ reports agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and L.A. County sheriff’s deputies visited the actor’s residence in the Brentwood neighborhood.
The Academy Award-winning filmmaker currently lives at the $20 million mansion he purchased months after his ex-wife, Jennifer Lopez, filed for divorce.
According to the celebrity news outlet, Affleck is not the subject of the authorities investigation. Although it has not been confirmed whether he was at the house at the time, authorities arrived in search of a privately-owned drone that struck a super scooper firefighting aircraft.
“I’d just like to stress, that technique, using that super scooper aircraft, are our most effective technique to fight fires like this, and when this happens, it puts everybody’s lives at risk,” stated Akil Davis, the assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, per ABC7.
Davis added, “Our biggest concern is that there are so many unauthorized drones in the area that they are impacting law enforcement and firefighters’ efforts to suppress this fire and actually get it contained.”
The super scooper in question was on loan from Canada to help combat the ongoing devastating wildfires that have consumed Southern California since the first week of Jan. 2025. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Perrone expected the Canadair CL-415 to be back in the air by Jan. 13.
Paparazzi filmed an uniformed L.A. County sheriff’s official explaining the reasoning stating, “We’re looking for a drone operator. … That’s what we’re out here doing, and it seems to be coming from right around here.”
Despite the credible reports of the drone incident leading to the FBI paying a visit to Affleck’s house, online conspiracy theorists have tried to tie the situation to his split from Lopez.
Numerous Daily Mail readers mentioned JLo and her ex-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs, whom she dated from 1999 to 2001 before she first publicly hooked up with Affleck in 2002.
Diddy faces federal charges for allegedly running a criminal enterprise since 2008. Federal prosecutors accuse him of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and other crimes.
The Bad Boy Entertainment founder has pled not guilty to all counts. He was repeatedly denied bail and awaits trial while locked up inside Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center. Lopez has not been charged in the case.
“So the FBI and a film crew were waiting for him? Did they also bring Jennifer Lopez for some additional photos and drama?” one person asked in the Daily Mail comment section.
Another person wrote, “Yikes! I wonder if it’s related to JLo and Diddy?” A third commenter posted, “Maybe they were looking for JLo. Wouldn’t surprise me if she was hiding under his bed.”
However, another individual pointed out, “It is against the law to fly drones right now as it impedes helicopters in the air flying around to help with fires. They had a complaint of drones flying.”
The 2025 California wildfires have caused at least 24 deaths and destroyed more than 12,000 structures. Several celebrities, such as R&B singer Jhené Aiko, lost their homes to the raging flames.
Around 150,000 people in Los Angeles County were ordered to evacuate. Affleck reportedly left his Brentwood residence to escape to safety at the home of his first ex-wife, “Elektra” actress Jennifer Garner.
Affleck married Garner, 52, in June 2005. They divorced in Oct. 2018 after having three children together — 19-year-old Violet, 16-year-old Seraphina, and 12-year-old Samuel.
Lopez became Affleck’s second wife on July 16, 2022. The pair collectively known as “Bennifer” wed in Las Vegas before hosting a larger ceremony for friends and family later that year.
Following their formal separation in April 2024, JLo sought a divorce from Affleck in Aug. of that year. She filed the paperwork hours after her estranged husband and Garner traveled together from New Haven, Connecticut, to Los Angeles after dropping their daughter Violet off at Yale University.
The “Pearl Harbor” and “Daredevil” co-stars have been seen together publicly throughout Affleck’s divorce from Lopez, which was finalized this month.
Garner has been romantically linked to CaliGroup CEO John Miller since 2018. Miller allegedly wants to marry the Golden Globe Award winner but he is said to be concerned about Garner’s seemingly platonic relationship with Affleck.
