Matt Damon through the years: 1997 to 2023

That wasn’t the only controversy called out while Stillwater hit theatres.

Damon was slammed over an interview with The Sunday Times in which the star said his daughter recently opened his eyes and convinced him to stop using what she referred to as “the f-slur for a homosexual.”

After making a joke over dinner the actor recalled his daughter writing him a letter about the harm of such a slur.

Upon being slammed by critics, Damon released a statement.

“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,” Damon wrote.

“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,” he continued, referring to his comedy Stuck on You, which he previously mentioned in his controversial interview.

“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,” Damon added.

“I not only agreed with her but thrilled at her passion, values and desire for social justice.”