Dating Ben Affleck put Lindsay Shookus in the spotlight, but she says that it’s not where she wants to be. Shookus has made a name for herself as a successful producer on Saturday Night Live , and has rarely spoken out publicly about her relationship with Affleck. Elle Magazine managed to convince her to chat with them, and Shookus was amicable and honest about life as a famous actor’s girlfriend.
Since the couple went public with their relationship status last summer, there’s been a lot of rumors flying around about what “really happened” between Shookus and Affleck. Some speculated that they were cheating on their ex-lovers with each other, and others accused Shookus of sleeping around with lots of people. But based on her interview with Elle , her personality is much more grounded and down-to-earth than any rumor mill could have imagined.
“My entire career has been behind the camera, and that’s definitely where I’m most comfortable. I’m a producer, I’m a mom, a friend…Being considered a public figure honestly makes me laugh.”
Shookus moved to New York City in 2002 and was hired to work in the talent department at SNL as an assistant. And as a young and ambitious 22-year-old, she did everything and anything she could to stand out. Her long hours and dedication to her job eventually paid off, and she eventually learned a lot from Marci Klein, who has worked at SNL since 1988. Shookus learned on the job quickly, and used her skills to spot Kristen Wiig who was then an unknown comedian. Wiig was an incredible find for SNL , who starred on the show for seven years.
Lindsay Shookus is one of the only female producers of #SNL , and she’s more than just paparazzi fodder: https://t.co/8hy7BYtmxV
— E! News (@enews) May 14, 2018
Since then, she’s discovered other amazing talent ahead of anyone else, including Sam Smith, whose album hadn’t dropped in the United States when she invited him onto the show. And thanks to his performance on the show, his single “Stay With Me” became an overnight success on the iTunes chart. Smith still remembers what it felt like.
“Honestly, it changed my life. And I’m not just saying that…I remember the day after, I just felt a shift. I don’t enjoy singing on TV a lot of the time; I find it quite scary. But for me, SNL is a safe space. Lindsay is that safe space. I’ll never forget her taking a chance on me in that moment.”
And on a personal note, all in all, her relationship with Affleck seems to be going well. The two are happy together, and Shookus is on good terms with her ex-husband Kevin Miller, with whom she co-parents their 5-year-old daughter. And for Shookus, people worrying about her relationship with Affleck is likely to be a passing phase. She believes that “Someone thinks about you for one minute and then says, ‘What do I want for lunch?’”
Lindsay Shookus is not comfortable in the spotlight. https://t.co/4d3udOZntw
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) May 14, 2018
