The cause of death for Chris Affleck, the mother of Ben and Casey Affleck, has been revealed following her death June 2 at age 83.
The mother of the Oscar-winning actors died after battling pancreatic cancer, according to a family obituary published in the Boston Globe.
A death certificate shows that the grandmother-of-five died from cardiopulmonary arrest, according to US Weekly. The certificate includes pancreatic adenocarcinoma as one of the conditions that led to her death.
She died at 10:52 a.m. June 2 while “visiting son’s residence,” according to the certificate, which Us Weekly reported lists an address associated with Ben Affleck. No autopsy was performed. Her remains were transported to Earth Funeral Home in Las Vegas, according to the outlet.
USA TODAY has reached out to Ben and Casey Affleck’s representatives.
Chris Affleck was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December 2025 when her medical team told her she had about six months to live. The aggressive disease is difficult to treat as it often goes undetected until advanced stages and is resistant to common drug treatments, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Who was Chris Affleck?
Chris Affleck dedicated a large part of her life to being an educator. With her Harvard University education, she worked as a public school teacher for more than three decades before retiring in 2008, her family stated.
She was also a longtime advocate, teaching literacy classes during Freedom Summer, an initiative that helped Black citizens vote in Mississippi and a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, and marching in opposition to the Vietnam War.
She welcomed her sons Ben and Casey Affleck with former husband Timothy Affleck, according to The Hollywood Reporter
Her early industry connections helped Ben Affleck break through in Hollywood, and she was present when he and Matt Damon won their first Oscars for original screenplay for “Good Will Hunting” in 1998, per The Hollywood Reporter. Ben Affleck later earned a second Oscar when “Argo” won best picture in 2013, while Casey Affleck won best actor in 2017 for “Manchester by the Sea.”
Contributing: Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY