Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Maira Butt

Matt Damon makes rare Ben Affleck admission amid his rumoured Jennifer Lopez divorce

Getty Images for SXSW

Support truly
independent journalism

Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.

Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.

Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.

Louise Thomas

Louise Thomas

Editor

Matt Damon has made a rare admission about his friend Ben Affleck amid the actor’s rumoured marriage struggles.

Affleck and Damon have been friends for decades after first finding success for writing and co-starring in Oscar-winning drama Good Will Hunting in 1997.

But while Damon has led a relatively quiet life, Affleck has often been in the public eye for a string of personal issues including divorce, rumours of infidelity, and addiction. The latest focus of scrutiny has been his very public reconciliation with old flame, Jennifer Lopez, which is now rumoured to be on the rocks.

The rekindled relationship and ensuing marriage was the subject of an album, movie, and accompanying documentary by Lopez. However, recent reports have suggested that the couple are once again both headed for divorce.

“Twenty-five years ago, the gossip magazine culture was huge but they ignored me,” he told Radio Times podcast, in a promotional interview for his new film The Instigators, in which he stars alongside Ben’s brother, Casey.

“I wasn’t an exciting story; the guy who’s married, it’s boring! Scandal and sex, that’s what people would read magazines for. I’ve been really lucky.

“Especially when I look at Casey’s brother, Ben. We’ve had parallel careers in a lot of ways, but I can’t imagine living under that scrutiny for 25 years,” he said.

Damon has been married to wife Luciana Barroso for 19 years, the couple share four daughters together, and have largely kept out of the limelight.

Actors have been friends for decades
Actors have been friends for decades (Getty Images for SXSW)

The Martian star also opened up about finding fame after dropping out of university as he shared, “I kept getting jobs while I was at school that meant I’d have to leave. Technically, I think I’m still on an extended leave of absence – so I could go back and finish my senior year.

“By the time I left, my class had graduated, my social circle had gone. A few years later, Good Will Hunting happened, and I was getting paid as a professional writer. So, I thought, why go back and get my English degree?”

Meanwhile, according to multiple reports, Lopez and Affleck are experiencing “issues” in their marriage, while some sources claim the Gone Girl star has moved out of their $60m home in Beverly Hills.

Although the couple have yet to publicly comment on the rumours, that hasn’t stopped people from speculating about a potential divorce – considering the pair weren’t photographed together for two months.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.