Steven Spielberg Asked to Work With ‘Anyone But’ Ben Affleck After Incident Involving Director’s Son

Steven Spielberg has a beef with Ben Affleck — and it reportedly stems from an awkward poolside incident that left the legendary director’s young son in tears.

According to filmmaker Mike Binder on Stephen Baldwin‘s One Bad Movie podcast, the drama unfolded in the late ’90s after Steven invited Ben to a party at his home. The director, 79, allegedly later recounted the story to Binder: His young son was playing in the pool when he climbed out and accidentally pushed Ben — who was still fully dressed — into the water. Ben allegedly lost his temper, grabbed the child and tossed him back into the pool, making the boy cry.

The incident resurfaced years later when Binder, 67, was trying to cast Ben in the early-2000s film Man About Town. Steven, whom Binder hoped to recruit for the project, quickly shut the idea down.

“I just don’t like to work with him,” Steven said, according to Binder. “Plus his last two movies bombed. Find somebody else. Anyone but him. He’s cold as hell.”

Binder was forced to tell Ben, 53, that the project had stalled — but he already suspected the truth. “Ben calls me up,” Binder recalls. “ ‘Did Steven Spielberg tell you I threw his kid into the water? Is that why I’m not on your movie?’ ” Binder denied it — at least at first — but Ben wasn’t convinced. “Yes he did,” Ben shot back. “That’s why I’m not on the movie.”

Despite the setback, Binder and Ben eventually made Man About Town anyway. The result? The 2006 film went straight to video.