Matt Damon on Monday insisted that he had not had ‘a private awakening’ after revealing that he was utilizing the homophobic slur f****t till ‘just some months in the past’ – when his daughter was pressured to inform him it was incorrect.
Damon, 50, sparked a livid backlash when he informed The Sunday Occasions a couple of dialog with certainly one of his three daughters – Isabella, 14, Gia, 12, and Stella, 10.
‘The phrase that my daughter calls the ‘f-slur for a gay’ was generally used after I was a child, with a special software,’ he mentioned.
‘I made a joke, months in the past, and obtained a treatise from my daughter. She left the desk. I mentioned, ‘Come on, that is a joke! I say it within the film Caught on You!’
‘She went to her room and wrote a really lengthy, stunning treatise on how that phrase is harmful.
‘I mentioned, ‘I retire the f-slur!’ I understood.’
On Monday, Damon issued a clarification.
‘I’ve by no means referred to as anybody ‘f****t’ in my private life and this dialog with my daughter was not a private awakening,’ he informed The Hollywood Reporter.
‘I don’t use slurs of any form.’
Matt Damon, seen in New York on the Stillwater premiere on July 26, insisted on Monday that he had by no means used the homophobic slur in his non-public life. He spoke out following an ill-advised revelation throughout an interview with The Sunday Occasions
The little ones: Matt and his spouse Luciana Barroso, 45, have daughters Isabella, 14, Gia, 12, and Stella, 10. She has daughter Alexia Barroso, 22, from a earlier relationship with Arbello Barroso
Damon’s followers had been shocked by his Sunday interview, with social media customers questioning why it has taken him till solely just lately to cease utilizing the homophobic slur, whereas others steered Damon might have ‘canceled himself’.
Adam Ellis, a New York Metropolis-based comedian artist and illustrator, mentioned: ‘So Matt Damon has simply been strolling round his mansion casually saying faggot in entrance of his daughters? In 2021?’
‘Has Matt Damon simply canceled himself?’ requested one Twitter consumer.
American comic, actor and author Travon Free mentioned: ‘So Matt Damon simply found out ‘months in the past’, by the use of a ‘treatise’ from a baby, that he is to not say the phrase f****t. Months in the past.’
Damon on Monday tried to restore the injury.
‘Throughout a current interview, I recalled a dialogue I had with my daughter the place I tried to contextualize for her the progress that has been made – although on no account accomplished – since I used to be rising up in Boston and, as a baby, heard the phrase ‘f*g’ used on the road earlier than I knew what it even referred to,’ he informed the positioning.
‘I defined that that phrase was used always and casually and was even a line of dialogue in a film of mine as just lately as 2003; she in flip expressed incredulity that there might ever have been a time the place that phrase was used unthinkingly.
‘To my admiration and satisfaction, she was extraordinarily articulate concerning the extent to which that phrase would have been painful to somebody within the LGBTQ+ group no matter how culturally normalized it was.
‘I not solely agreed together with her however thrilled at her ardour, values and want for social justice.’
Damon mentioned that he needed to clarify he stood with the LGBTQ group.
‘I’ve realized that eradicating prejudice requires lively motion towards justice slightly than discovering passive consolation in imagining myself ‘one of many good guys.’
‘And on condition that open hostility towards the LGBTQ+ group continues to be not unusual, I perceive why my assertion led many to imagine the worst.
‘To be as clear as I may be, I stand with the LGBTQ+ group.’
Different social media customers questioned why Damon felt the necessity to share such an anecdote.
Canadian comic Deven Inexperienced, referred to as her satirical identify Mrs Betty Bowers, mentioned: ‘I’ve misplaced some respect for Matt Damon for 2 causes:
‘Being a 51-year-old (sic) Harvard-educated one that solely realized utilizing homophobic slurs was a nasty factor months in the past and being silly sufficient to suppose that was a cute story he ought to share with the world.’
One other consumer mentioned: ‘I am screaming as a result of why did Matt Damon inform us that unprovoked?’
‘Matt Damon’s teenage daughter going to painstaking lengths, establishing a whole essay on why he should not use a slur, for his personal profit as a lot as anybody else’s, just for him to waltz off to the closest journalist to merrily inform them how usually he used it until every week in the past,’ mentioned one consumer.
‘I wish to know what phrase Matt Damon has changed f****t with,’ mentioned comic Billy Eichner, who can be homosexual.
He additionally mentioned in one other tweet, ‘And to suppose I did not throw a retirement get together!’
He added: ‘Think about this headline about another derogatory ethnic/racial/non secular and so forth slur being utilized in 2021. Individuals could be up in arms and rightfully so. However you are still allowed to be homophobic on this fake-woke business. HAPPY PRIDE!!!’
Movie journalist Jordan Hoffman tweeted, ‘Do celebrities not understand they aren’t legally required to talk to the press?’
The tweet additionally garnered a response from actor Seth Rogen, who mentioned, ‘They really actually are a variety of the time,’ referring to actors being required to advertise their tasks by the studios of their contracts.
Even with that being the case, many had been baffled that Damon revealed that data so casually within the interview.
Not required: Movie journalist Jordan Hoffman tweeted, ‘Do celebrities not understand they aren’t legally required to talk to the press?’
Actually: The tweet additionally garnered a response from actor Seth Rogen, who mentioned, ‘They really actually are a variety of the time,’ referring to actors being required to advertise their tasks by the studios of their contracts
TV author Chase Mitchell acknowledged, ‘Everyone: The Nationwide information media: The trades: TMZ: Matt Damon: ‘Y’know I mentioned f****t till like final Tuesday.’
Author Charlotte Clymer, who can be a lesbian, added, ‘This information bit about Matt Damon solely just lately deciding to cease saying ‘f****t’ after his daughter wrote him a ‘treatise’ on it simply makes me unhappy. Geez.’
She added in one other tweet, ‘I’ve a nasty feeling that that is an extremely clumsy try at advertising and marketing for a movie during which Damon performs a superb ole boy making an attempt to save lots of his queer daughter from hurt, and I gotta inform ya: I do know a variety of good ole boys who already get why that is incorrect and do not do it.’
The Younger Turks contributor Adrienne Lawrence added, ‘If Matt Damon’s utilizing homophobic slurs on the dinner desk in 2021, you may’t inform me he isn’t utilizing racist slurs too. Guess.’
TV author Jaclyn Moore added, ‘Keep in mind when the joke was that Ben Affleck was the dumb one and Matt Damon was the sensible one?
‘As a result of one is relationship J-Lo and the opposite is spending the yr of our lord Dolly Parton 2021 bragging about how he simply stopped saying ‘f*g.’
Tuesday: TV author Chase Mitchell acknowledged, ‘Everyone: The Nationwide information media: The trades: TMZ: Matt Damon: ‘Y’know I mentioned f****t till like final Tuesday’
Adrienne: The Younger Turks contributor Adrienne Lawrence added, ‘If Matt Damon’s utilizing homophobic slurs on the dinner desk in 2021, you may’t inform me he isn’t utilizing racist slurs too. Guess.’
Jaclyn: TV author Jaclyn Moore added, ‘Keep in mind when the joke was that Ben Affleck was the dumb one and Matt Damon was the sensible one? As a result of one is relationship J-Lo and the opposite is spending the yr of our lord Dolly Parton 2021 bragging about how he simply stopped saying ‘f*g’
One other leisure journalist, Daniel Fienberg, added, ‘As a member of the press, I like when celebrities speak to the press, nevertheless it’s all the time illuminating to listen to the tales that folk like Liam Neeson or Matt Damon suppose are humanizing and charming, however truly reveal insulation and isolation (amongst different unsavory stuff) as an alternative.’
Freelance author Erin Biba tweeted, ‘Matt Damon actually turns into extra insupportable by the second, huh? Like the opening that dude has dug himself would possibly come out the opposite aspect of the Earth quickly.’
Press: One other leisure journalist, Daniel Fienberg, added, ‘As a member of the press, I like when celebrities speak to the press, nevertheless it’s all the time illuminating to listen to the tales that folk like Liam Neeson or Matt Damon suppose are humanizing and charming, however truly reveal insulation and isolation (amongst different unsavory stuff) as an alternative’
Damon and his spouse Luciana Barroso, 45, have daughters Isabella, 14, Gia, 12, and Stella, 10.
She has daughter Alexia Barroso, 22, from a earlier relationship with Arbello Barroso.
Damon went on to complain within the newspaper interview about his phrases being put underneath a microscope, saying: ‘Twenty years in the past, one of the best ways I can put it’s that the journalist listened to the music greater than the lyrics [of an interview].’
‘Now your lyrics are getting parsed, to tug them out of context and get the most effective headline doable. Everybody wants clicks. Earlier than it did not actually matter what I mentioned, as a result of it did not make the information.
‘However perhaps this shift is an efficient factor. So I shut the f– up extra.’
The household: Damon and Barroso get pleasure from a seashore day with their daughters Isabella, Gia and Stella in Byron Bay, Australia
The actor – who has labored with Steven Soderbergh on ‘Ocean’s Trilogy’, 2009 crime comedy ‘The Informant’ and 2013 drama ‘Behind the Candelabra’ – opened up on how his cameo in ‘No Sudden Transfer’ took place.
He informed Collider: ‘I attempt to do each film that Steven does, I’ve to attempt to play at the very least some half in it. I feel we’re as much as 10 now.
‘He referred to as me after I was doing The Final Duel and simply mentioned he had one other actor for that half, however as a result of the film moved and it pushed due to COVID and every little thing, it opened up.’
Damon admitted he’d already seemed over the script – which he tries to do for all of Soderbergh’s tasks – which made it an ‘straightforward’ determination.
He added: ‘I had already learn the script as a result of I normally learn what he is engaged on out of curiosity so I simply jumped on the likelihood to parachute in and play that man.’
A brand new film for this vet: Damon is starring as an oil rig employee in Stillwater
His forged mates: Damon, Abigail Breslin and Tom McCarthy attend the Stillwater’New York Premiere on July 26 in New York Metropolis
There was additionally a bonus deal with of attending to share the display screen with two of his favourite performers.
He mentioned: ‘Plus it is a scene with two of my favourite actors on the earth, Don Cheadle and Benicio del Toro, in order that was one other straightforward sure.’
Damon additionally serves as a manufacturing with Mission Greenlight alongside Chris Moore, Sean Bailey and Ben Affleck, whereas he and Affleck additionally created Pearl Avenue Movies collectively.
Discussing potential tasks, he admitted: ‘I haven’t got – there’s a number of that I’ve had within the wings, however I dunno.
‘I suppose I am ready for the subsequent one to come back my means.’
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