Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon have one of the most famous ongoing fake feuds in Hollywood. It started as a spontaneous joke on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. However, it quickly turned into a long-running feud. Over the years, their pranks and insults have prompted questions about why Kimmel doesn’t like Damon.
Here are more details about the feud.
Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon feud explained
The iconic feud between Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon has been one of Hollywood’s longest-running jokes. It all began in 2003, during Season 3 of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, when Kimmel ended the show with the line, “Apologies to Matt Damon, but we ran out of time,” despite Damon not being a scheduled guest.
In 2006, Damon made his first appearance on the show, and Kimmel continued the joke. After a lengthy introduction from Kimmel, Damon was abruptly cut off. Kimmel ended the show on the spot, and Damon stormed off the set, adding more fuel to the fire. The jokes continued over the years.
In 2007, Damon teamed up with Sarah Silverman to get back at Kimmel. He starred in a viral comedy video with Silverman, playfully revealing a (fake) affair. Furthermore, in 2013, Damon took over Kimmel’s late-night show. In a sketch, Kimmel was replaced by Damon, who hosted the show in his place. Moreover, Damon has repeatedly crashed the show through different methods. This includes disguising himself as Tom Brady after the Super Bowl and being smuggled under Ben Affleck’s coat.
Their feud reached a new level in 2017 when Kimmel openly expressed his desire for Damon to lose at the Oscars. The host said on Good Morning America, “I would like him to go home with nothing.” The feud didn’t stop there. In 2018, Damon hacked into Jimmy Kimmel Live! by interrupting an interview with Chris Hemsworth. Then, a year later, Kimmel joked that Damon would never be allowed at his new comedy club in Las Vegas.
Through all the pranks and jabs, Kimmel and Damon’s feud has become a fan favorite. Most recently, at the 2024 Oscars, viewers thought Jimmy Kimmel had finally held back from teasing Matt Damon. However, at the end of the show, he surprised everyone with a funny clip. In the video, Messi, the dog from Anatomy of a Fall, walks up to Matt Damon’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and appears to urinate on it.