Matt Damon releases statement regarding his f-slur usage, says he ‘never called anyone ‘f****t’

Miu von Furstenberg 5 Min Read
Matt Damon "Elysium" Australian Premiere - Arrivals

Matt Damon is responding to the backlash he received over the weekend after he says remarks from an interview were taken out of context.

The Stillwater actor, 50, clarified an idea that he had only just stopped using the “f-slur” after he was admonished by one of his daughters. Damon is quoted in a Sunday Times interview as saying the offensive slur was “commonly used when I was a kid, with a different application.”

“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!’,” he told the British newspaper. “I understood.”

Following all of the backlash that Damon has received on social media, he released a new statement to Variety to try and clear up his comments.

Matt Damon "The Informant!" Portraits - 2009 Toronto International Film Festival
Matt Damon from the film “The Informant!”, pose for a portrait during the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival at The Sutton Place Hotel on September 11, 2009 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Getty Images)

Matt said, “During a recent interview, I recalled a discussion I had with my daughter where I attempted to contextualize for her the progress that has been made – though by no means completed – since I was growing up in Boston and, as a child, heard the word ‘f*g’ used on the street before I knew what it even referred to.”

He continued, “I explained that that word was used constantly and casually and was even a line of dialogue in a movie of mine as recently as 2003; she in turn expressed incredulity that there could ever have been a time where that word was used unthinkingly. To my admiration and pride, she was extremely articulate about the extent to which that word would have been painful to someone in the LGBTQ+ community regardless of how culturally normalized it was. I not only agreed with her but thrilled at her passion, values and desire for social justice.”

Matt Damon Premiere Of Disney's "Beauty And The Beast" - Arrivals
Matt Damon attends Disney's “Beauty and the Beast” premiere at El Capitan Theatre on March 2, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Getty Images)

In conclusion, Damon said, “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. I have learned that eradicating prejudice requires active movement toward justice rather than finding passive comfort in imagining myself ‘one of the good guys’. And 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 may have not called anyone directly the slur, but it does seem, from his what he’s saying, that he was using the term in conversation. Otherwise, why state, “I retire the f-slur!,” as I’m assuming he didn’t think he was speaking for the entire world?

I do suggest that Damon’s PR reps give him some extensive interview training, given the fact that he tends to torpedo one interview after another.

Matt Damon Visits The SiriusXM Hollywood Studios in Los Angeles
Matt Damon attends ‘Matt Damon visits the SiriusXM Hollywood studios in Los Angeles' at SiriusXM Studios on November 04, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

Monday evening (Aug. 02, 2021), GLAAD’s Head of Talent Anthony Allen Ramos issued a statement on the organization’s behalf.

“The conversations that have arisen after Matt Damon’s original interview and subsequent remarks today are 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,” wrote GLAAD’s Ramos. “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.


LINK LOVE

SL RECOMMENDS

Like most websites, Socialite Life uses affiliate links where available, which means we earn a little commission if you click through and buy something. Also, as Amazon Influencers, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Sale

Last update on 2024-12-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Share This Article