India, May 8 -- Hollywood star Ben Affleck is reflecting on his connection to singer Britney Spears, revealing why he once "had a lot of empathy" for the pop icon. During a recent appearance on Theo Von's podcast This Past Weekend, the 52-year-old actor shared his thoughts on Britney and the intense media scrutiny she faced over the years.

"I can remember a long time ago, years and years ago, I really had a lot of empathy for Britney Spears. That's not somebody [who] I knew or hung out with, but you see all this s**t that comes through. Having had my own experiences myself, I knew that these are people following her around in a time where she may or may not be having difficulty," Ben said.

Though Ben and Britney might not appear to have...