Matt Damon apologises for sex assault comments

  • 17/01/2018
Matt Damon sorry for misguided comments about sexual misconduct and #MeToo.
Matt Damon Photo credit: Getty

Matt Damon has apologised for his controversial remarks regarding the MeToo movement and recent sexual misconduct revelations.

Damon received backlash he received over saying sexual misconduct should be judged on a "spectrum of behaviour."

"I really wish I'd listened a lot more before I weighed in on this," Damon said.

"Ultimately, what it is for me is that I don't want to further anybody's pain with anything that I do or say. And so for that I'm really sorry."

Of the #TimesUp movement, Damon said, "A lot of those women are my dear friends and I love them and respect them and support what they're doing and want to be a part of that change and want to go along for that ride. But I should get in the back seat and close my mouth for a while."

During his controversial interview last month, Damon said, "We're going to have to figure - you know, there's a difference between, you know, patting someone on the butt and rape or child molestation, right?"

"Both of those behaviours need to be confronted and eradicated, without question, but they shouldn't be conflated, right?" he added.

His comments earned him backlash on social media, including from his Good Will Hunting co-star Minnie Driver.

"God God, SERIOUSLY?" Driver tweeted in response. When a user tried to defend Damon, Driver replied,

"No. You don't get to be hierarchical with abuse. And you don't get to tell women that because some guy only showed them their penis their pain isn't as great as a woman who was raped."

Damon also generated controversy with an interview with Business Insider last month.

"We're in this watershed moment, and it's great, but I think one thing that's not being talked about is there are a whole s--load of guys - the preponderance of men I've worked with - who don't do this kind of thing and whose lives aren't going to be affected," he said.

Reuters