Things just haven't been easy for Matt Damon recently.
Ironically, the star might be on his way to joining the laundry list of celebs who got canceled in 2021—while promoting his own movie. He sat down lately with the Sunday Times of London to talk about his freshly-released movie Stillwater and dropped an extremely odd story about how he quit saying the f-slur only "months ago."
"The word that my daughter calls the 'f-slur for a homosexual' was commonly used when I was a kid, with a different application," he defended himself.
In fact, the actor is no stranger to controversies, and fans aren't buying it. To sum them up, here's what we know about Matt Damon's recent cancellation and his past.
9 A Conversation With His Daughter Stopped Him From Using The F-Slur Again
While eating a meal with his family, the father of four dropped the f slur, which upset one of his daughters. After a long conversation, she inspired him to stop using the word.
"I made a joke, months ago, and got a treatise from my daughter. She left the table. I said, ‘Come on, that’s a joke! I say it in the movie 'Stuck on You!’ She went to her room and wrote a very long, beautiful treatise on how that word is dangerous. I said, ‘I retire the f-slur!’ I understood," he said, in his own words.
8 He Claimed He's Never Used The Derogatory Term In His Personal Life
However, in response to the recent backlash, the actor claimed that he's never used the term against anyone in his "personal life," despite the interview suggesting otherwise.
"I have never called anyone 'f****t' in my personal life and this conversation with my daughter was not a personal awakening. I do not use slurs of any kind," he said.
7 He's Then Addressed His Support For The LGBTQ+ Community
Furthermore, The Martian actor added that he's supported the LGBTQ+ community amidst the backlash.
"Given that open hostility against the LGBTQ+ community is still not uncommon, I understand why my statement led many to assume the worst. To be as clear as I can be, I stand with the LGBTQ+ community," he continued in a statement to Yahoo Entertainment.
6 GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Has Released A Statement Regarding Damon's Latest Comments
In response, GLAAD issued a statement regarding the actor's "retirement" from the f-slur and the recent backlash. As written by Anthony Allen Ramos, the NGO's Head of Talent, what happened is an "important reminder that this word, or any word that aims to disparage and disrespect LGBTQ people, has no place in mainstream media, social media, classrooms, workplaces, and beyond."
"There needs to be accountability at a time when anti-LGBTQ slurs remain rampant today and can fuel discrimination and stereotypes, especially when used by those outside of the community to defame or describe LGBTQ people," he addressed further.
5 He Once Made A Controversial Remark On The #MeToo Movement
That said, the actor isn't quite safe from controversies. Back in 2018, Damon found himself in hot water after his comments on sexual assault amidst the height of the Time's Up & #MeToo movements. The actor said that in this "watershed moment," people should acknowledge the "spectrum of behavior" when it comes to sexual misconduct and pay attention to men who have not been accused of such predatory behavior instead.
4 A Month Later, The Actor Apologized
Not too long after the statement went public, the actor took time to address it and apologize. In an interview with Kathie Lee Gifford on the Today show, he said that he regretted his comments.
"I really wish I’d listened a lot more before I weighed in on this," he apologized. "A lot of those women are my dear friends and I love them and respect them and support what they’re doing and want to be a part of that change ... But I should get in the back seat and close my mouth for a while."
3 He Also Made A Controversial Statement On Diversity During 'Project Greenlight' In 2015
Three years prior to the controversial remarks on #MeToo, the actor was thrown under the bus for his comments on diversity during an episode of Project Greenlight. The series itself is a reality show that pits first-time filmmakers being given a chance to direct a feature film. He told Dear White People producer Effie Brown, who is a black woman, that diversity isn't his problem, saying, "You do it in the casting of the film, not in the casting of the show."
2 He Issued Another Apology
"My comments were part of a much broader conversation about diversity in Hollywood and the fundamental nature of ‘Project Greenlight’ which did not make the show," he said in a statement to Variety. "I am sorry that they offended some people, but, at the very least, I am happy that they started a conversation about diversity in Hollywood."
1 Matt Damon's New Film 'Stillwater' Faces Conflict
Speaking of which, his recent film Stillwater also isn't safe from controversy. The film is based on Amanda Knox's story, an innocent American woman who spent four years in an Italian prison for the conviction of the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher, a fellow exchange student.
"Why is my name used to refer to events I had no hand in?" Knox wrote in an essay on Medium,which she also shared on Twitter. "I return to these questions because others continue to profit off my name, face, and story without my consent."
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGigrGWdlsG1ecOapKimXZyytcDIp55mm5GjsKa4y56bZqCVp7K0edahmK1lp5p6rLrOsGY%3D