Ben Affleck confused by criminals that get celebrity status

Los Angeles - Ben Affleck doesn't understand why American society treats "criminals like celebrities".

The 42-year-old actor is fascinated by the obsession with "notoriety" in the US and has questioned what the motivation is to make murderers infamous.

Speaking in the new issue of Loaded magazine, he said: "Well, I've never been accused of murder - which is about the only thing! Notoriety is the American version of fame. You have people going out and committing crimes just they can be famous and hoping that happens because we treat criminals like celebrities. We focus on them so much. In America everyone can reel off... famous killers and the way we obsess over them is interesting. It goes back to John Dillinger and Al Capone."

From his own experiences working in Hollywood, Affleck can identify with criminals becoming famous because of the shock value of their actions, but he still thinks it's morally wrong to sensationalise crime, therefore giving heinous individuals the notoriety they crave.

The Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice star added: "I don't know why we want to make people like Jesse James a hero - people who murdered other people - but it is what we focus on. I don't know. We watch these things on TV and I can identify with the tabloid media fame part of it but I think it's a whole other thing when you get into this cable killer 24 hour cycle."

Affleck - who is married to Jennifer Garner - is the cover star of the new issue of Loaded magazine, which is available to buy in print and digital formats now.