Ben Affleck has, in fact, denied ever having met Lisa Barlow, a star from “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.” This comes in light of his earlier claims that work commitments kept him from filming parts of this season of the show.
During an interview with Access Hollywood, Affleck faced a rather awkward moment while promoting his new film, “The Rip,” alongside Matt Damon. An interviewer asked him about Barlow, who had said she missed filming due to an event with her husband. “Do you know someone called Lisa Barlow?” the interviewer inquired.
Affleck seemed a bit flustered but responded cautiously, saying, “I don’t want anyone to get in trouble.”
The situation escalated when Barlow had previously claimed that she used his name when explaining her absence during a girls’ trip with her castmates. “What is this?” Affleck questioned. “Is there an event in Salt Lake City? Like proving someone right or wrong?”
Interestingly, in that episode, Barlow, who is 51, didn’t specify where this alleged meeting with Affleck was supposed to happen, although the interviewer suggested it might have been in Utah. Affleck, 53, remarked, “I haven’t been to Utah in eight, nine years. I don’t remember anything there.”
He navigated the question by stating it was unlikely he had met Barlow, yet he did admit that events can get chaotic. It was entirely possible that he had met her and simply didn’t remember. “It was an unfamiliar scene, and I don’t recall anything,” he stated.
Affleck continued, saying, “I don’t want to embarrass her. I say hello to many people, and I don’t want to be that guy who’s like, ‘I’ve met you before.’ I don’t remember everyone.” He added, “Whatever this heated controversy is, I don’t think I’m qualified to discuss it.”
Barlow didn’t let Affleck’s comments slide for long; she quickly took to the comments section on the Access Hollywood post, asserting that they indeed met at the SXSW Film Festival. She even shared a TikTok showcasing her experience, including footage of Affleck at the premiere of “The Accountant 2.”
In her recap, she wrote about the “great movie and party,” referencing the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, which took place in March 2025. She also posted a compilation video that featured clips from the event, including Affleck walking the red carpet.
Fans of Bravo may recall that Barlow had previously mentioned her reasons for missing a trip with castmate Angie Katsanevas were linked to her conflicts with co-star Bronwyn Newport and her work involving Affleck and Blake Lively.
Barlow expressed in an episode, “People forget I have a very full life because I keep it private. I don’t want to drop names, but I’m with Ben and Blake, for instance.” She further stated, “I don’t want to spend the night with Bronwyn. She’s a pathological liar. It’s just disgusting.”
Ultimately, Barlow concluded with, “I’m with Ben Affleck and you’re with Bronwyn.”
