Hollywood
Matt Damon Opens Up About Supporting Ben Affleck Through Divorce and Addiction
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s friendship has long been considered one of Hollywood’s most enduring bonds, and now the two Oscar-winning actors are offering rare insight into how deeply that connection runs. In a candid appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Damon spoke openly about standing by Affleck during some of the most difficult chapters of his life — including divorce and struggles with alcohol addiction. The conversation came ahead of their on-screen reunion in the upcoming Netflix action-thriller The Rip, but quickly shifted from a professional collaboration to a personal survival.
“I was there for all of it,” Damon says
During the interview, host Howard Stern asked Matt Damon whether he could still approach Ben Affleck and say, “I’m here to help you,” despite years of public scrutiny surrounding Ben Affleck’s personal life.
“Oh, yeah,” Matt Damon replied. “Our relationship isn’t affected by what people are saying. I was there for all of it.”
Ben Affleck, visibly moved, responded, “That means a lot to me. That’s sort of what a real friend is.”
Howard Stern went on to describe their bond as resembling “a great romance” built on loyalty and trust — a description Ben Affleck didn’t shy away from. “It’s definitely love,” the actor agreed, emphasizing the intensity and importance of formative male friendships.
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Navigating fame, divorce, and addiction together
Ben Affleck’s turbulent personal journey has played out publicly over the past decade, including a high-profile divorce from Jennifer Garner, multiple stints in rehab for alcohol addiction, and his highly publicized marriage and later separation from Jennifer Lopez.
Ben Affleck acknowledged that sharing sudden fame with Matt Damon after Good Will Hunting helped keep both men grounded. “Getting famous and successful kind of together, [we had] somebody to turn to and go, ‘Is this f—ing nuts, or what?’” Ben Affleck said.
Damon echoed that sentiment, noting that early fame can “stunt” emotional growth. Their ages — 25 and 27 when they won Oscars — allowed them to develop some sense of identity before Hollywood transformed their lives.
A friendship that began long before fame
The duo’s story began in childhood. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck met when they were just 10 and 8 years old, introduced by their mothers, who were both teachers. Growing up just blocks apart, they bonded over a shared dream of becoming actors — a dream many would have dismissed as unrealistic.
“Just dumb enough to think, ‘It’ll pan out!’” Affleck joked in a previous interview.
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Reuniting on screen with The Rip
Now in their 50s, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are once again starring together in The Rip, an action thriller directed by Joe Carnahan. The film follows Miami cops whose loyalties are tested after discovering millions in illicit cash, and it premieres on Netflix on January 16.
Looking back on their journey, Damon summed it up simply: “We hit the lottery. We hit it together.”
