Chris Affleck, mother of Ben and Casey Affleck, died of cardiopulmonary arrest linked to pancreatic cancer

Chris Affleck, the mother of actors Ben and Casey Affleck, died on June 2 at age 83 while visiting her son's residence, according to a death certificate obtained by a media outlet. The certificate records cardiopulmonary arrest as the immediate cause of death, with pancreatic adenocarcinoma noted as an underlying condition. She had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December 2025 and was given a six-month prognosis.

The document shows she died at 10:52 a.m. at the home associated with Ben Affleck. Two days before her death, she attended her grandson Samuel's middle-school graduation, fulfilling what her family described as her greatest wish after the diagnosis.

Chris Affleck was a former educator and longtime activist. In the 1960s she taught literacy classes during Freedom Summer, protested the Vietnam War, and later participated in Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. After traveling to Palestine in 2009, she became involved in water-justice advocacy and helped establish the Sustainable Cape project in Truro, Massachusetts.

In later years she focused on her five grandchildren, whom her obituary described as the “animating force” of her final two decades. She also maintained a relationship with actress Jennifer Garner, Ben Affleck’s ex-spouse, attending family events and supporting Garner during a period when Ben was in rehabilitation.

The family did not announce her passing publicly until July 24, nearly two months after her death.