EXCLUSIVE: Hollywood Heavyweights at War — Steven Spielberg 'Refusing to Employ Ben Affleck After A-Lister Bashed His Boy!'
Steven Spielberg and Ben Affleck have clashed after reports the director refused work following criticism of his son.
Feb. 3 2026, Published 7:00 a.m. ET
Hollywood heavyweight Steven Spielberg reportedly refused to work with Batman hunk Ben Affleck over a bizarre incident involving one of the Indiana Jones director's kids, RadarOnline.com can reveal
Filmmaker Mike Binder learned about the grudge when Spielberg agreed to work with him on a movie titled Man About Town in the early 2000s, until Binder told him Affleck had signed on as the star.
Spielberg Refused to Work With Affleck
Mike Binder said Steven Spielberg refused to work with Ben Affleck after a poolside incident involving his child.
Spielberg reportedly balked, noting that Affleck's two recent movies hadn't done well, saying: "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."
Binder said the Jurassic Park director also told him about a party at his house where he'd invited Affleck, who had dated Gwyneth Paltrow, Spielberg's goddaughter, in the late '90s.
"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," Binder said Spielberg told him.
"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."
Affleck Confronts Producer Over Snub
Affleck later questioned Binder about the stalled deal on 'Man About Town' after learning Spielberg blamed him for the incident.
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Later, when Binder told Affleck that the deal was stalled: "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' ... [and Affleck says] 'Yes he did! He told you I threw his kid in the water. That's why I'm not on the movie.'"
Binder and Affleck did later make 2006's Man About Town, which went straight to video.
