Matt Damon Finally Gets The Message About Sexual Harassment

Published on17th January 2018 at 12.45pm

#MeToo is demanding a lot more than we’re used to from our favourite celebrities. No longer can they wittingly ignore gender injustice prevalent in their industry, tactfully bypassing awkward questions. Now, there’s a sea of online commentators lying in wait ready to hold anyone accountable for their uninformed, ignorant opinions.

Matt Damon fell foul to this back in December when he gave the most misguided response to a question regarding how he feels about sexual misconduct in the industry. In the interview with ABC, he said:

‘I do believe that there’s a spectrum of behavior… there’s a difference between patting someone on the butt on rape or child molestation, both of those behaviours need to be confronted and eradicated without question, but they shouldn't be conflated.’

Groundbreaking.

In a separate interview with Business Insider, he felt it necessary to stress the importance of the poor men who are being forgotten now that women are speaking up about sexual harassment, stating:

‘One thing that's not being talked about is there are a whole shitload 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.'

Seemingly, Damon misses the entire point of #MeToo which brought to attention how all of the ‘minor’ sexual offenses contribute to a society that ignores sexual abuse towards women. As Alyssa Milano stated in her open letter to Damon, they ‘are all connected to a patriarchy intertwined with normalized, accepted- even welcomed- misogyny’.

Now, Damon has apologized for his latest episode of #Damonsplaining (for which there are many, just watch him trivialize diversity to the producer of Dear White People here). In an interview with Kathie Lee Gifford on Today, he said:

‘I really wish I'd listened a lot more before I weighed in on this.

‘I don't want to further anybody's pain with anything that I do or say. So for that I am really sorry. 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...but I should get in the back seat and close my mouth for a while.’

Finally, he gets the point.

It may be human nature to view something from entirely your own perspective on first hearing about it, but this reluctance to think beyond your own personal experience and understand how the issue effects other people, specifically groups less privileged and more marginalized than yourself, isn’t acceptable anymore. Not when you have a platform like Matt Damon’s.

Commenting on something you're ignorant about is at best stupid, but at worst - with his huge mostly younger male audience - can end up hurting a lot of people and damaging a socio-political movement.

His apology is hopefully the start of a learning experience in which he will stop speaking on issues he has not thoroughly researched. Men, take note, read a book before you jump into conversations about gender injustice. Better yet, just take the time to listen – you don’t always have to have an opinion.

Check out everyone who wore black to the Golden Globes...

Golden Globes 2018 - Grazia

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Angelina Jolie

Attending with her son Maddox, Angelina Jolie chose a floaty sheer dress with voluminous feather-trimmed sleeves.

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Alicia Vikander

Alicia Vikander showed off her innate style in a high neck dress with keyhole cut-out back and embellishment detail.

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Michelle Williams and MeToo founder Tarana Burke

A Louis Vuitton clad-Michelle Williams was noticeably moved to be with #MeToo founder Tarana, saying: 'We're here because of Tarana, she started a movement, and it caught fire.' 'It's deeply humbling,' Tarana added, 'This is something I started out of necessity… this moment is so powerful.'

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Emma Stone and Billie Jean King

Emma Stone decided to invite Billie Jean King as her date to the Globes, the tennis pro and pioneer who she played in Battle of the Sexes. Stone looked typically fashion-forward in a lace, one-shouldered dress.

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Dakota Johnson

Dakota Johnson, who is a presenter at tonight's awards, wore a Gucci gown (what else!) with a stunning train featuring a silver sequin motif at the back.

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Dakota Johnson

Dakota Johnson's looked even more stunning from the back.

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Jessica Chastain

The always superbly dressed Jessica Chastain aced the dress code in an Armani Prive velvet halterneck gown with silver crystal embroidery on the sides.

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Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake

Jessica Biel channelled Hollywood glamour in a nude gown with sheer black overlay and black sash detail, keeping things classy with a low chignon and diamond accessories. Husband Justin Timberlake opted for an all black suit.

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Kendall Jenner

Kendall Jenner had her Angelina Jolie moment posing in an asymmetrical dress with tiered skirts by Giambattista Valli.

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Salma Hayek and Ashley Judd

Salma Hayek and Ashley Judd posed together on the carpet, with the former in a high-necked, long-sleeved dress and the latter in a low-cut layered lace gown. Their appearance was poignant, as the two starred together in Frida, the film Hayek accused Harvey Weinstein of harassing her on.

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Claire Foy and Matt Smith

The Crown's stars posed together on the red carpet, with Claire Foy looking sensational in a low-cut tuxedo look teamed with slicked back hair and a bold red lip.

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Catherine Zeta-Jones

Catherine Zeta-Jones looked incredible in a daringly low-cut illusion dress with sheer skirt by who else than Zuhair Murad.

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Alexis Bledel

Alexis Bledel wore a black and white one-shouldered jumpsuit by Oscar de la Renta to celebrate her show The Handmaid's Tale's nomination.

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Allison Williams

Former Girls star Allison Williams brightened up her all-black ensemble with a pop of tangerine in this beaded strapless dress by Armani Prive.

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Sadie Sink

Stranger Things star Sadie Sink wore a Miu Miu prom dress with full skirt and sweetheart neckline for her first ever Golden Globes.

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Debra Messing

Will and Grace's Debra Messing wore a black embellished tunic-style dress with trousers.

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Catriona Balfe

Outlander's Catriona Balfe oozed glamour in a black dress with off-the-shoulder sheer detail by Chanel.

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Margot Robbie

Margot Robbie chose an oriental-inspired dress with beautifully intricate silver embroidery.

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Emma Watson and Marai Larasi

Emma Watson brought Marai Larasi as her date, the founder of Imkaan, a black feminist organisation in London.

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Meryl Streep and Ai-Jen Poo

Meryl Streep brought Director of Domestic Workers Alliance, Ai-Jen Poo, as her date to the Golden Globes.

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Mandy Moore

Mandy Moore opted for a sleek, column dress with halterneck detail, adding a pop of colour with a scarlet sash belt.

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Amy Poehler and Saru Jayaraman

Amy Poehler chose ROC co-founder Saru Jayaraman as her date for the Golden Globes.

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Alison Brie

Glow star and nominee Alison Brie wore an old Hollywood-esque strapless dress with full skirt and sweetheart neckline, choosing a beautiful diamond choker to complete the look.

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Heidi Klum

Heidi Klum chose a gown with an asymmetrical hemline and ostrich feather detail.

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Ewan McGregor

Fargo's Ewan McGregor stuck to the dress code in an all black tux - including his shirt - looking very dapper indeed.

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Christina Hendricks

Christina Hendricks, star of 2018's answer to Big Little Lies, Good Girls, chose a simple off-the-shoulder black gown.

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Kit Harington

Kit Harington aka Jon Snow aka King in the North looked very dapper in an all black tuxedo.

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Chris Hemsworth

Chris Hemsworth looked very un-Thor-like in his tux.

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Sarah Paulson

Sarah Paulson chose a highneck gown with pleated skirt.

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Jude Law

Jude Law joked on the red carpet in sunglasses.

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Zoe Kravitz

Zoe Kravitz looked typically cool in a simple but chic column dress teamed with sapphire earrings.

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Isabelle Huppert

Isabelle Huppert looked very on-trend in an embellished metallic dress with sculptural shoulder detail.

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Gwendoline Christie

Game of Thrones and Star Wars actress Gwendoline Christie wore a ruffled black dress with sheer high neck.

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James and Dave Franco

The Disaster Artists' stars James and Dave Franco posed together in their tuxedos.

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Diane Kruger

Perennial best-dressed list member Diane Kruger looked like she'd stepped off the runway in a halterneck tulle gown with cape-like detail by Prada.

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Millie Bobby Brown

Millie Bobby Brown chose an 80s-esque backless dress with voluminous sleeves.

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Kerry Washington

Kerry Washington sparkled in an embellished strapless gown with thigh-high split.

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Maggie Gyllenhaal

Maggie Gyllenhaal was one of several stars who opted for strapless sequins.

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Michelle Pfeiffer

Comeback queen Michelle Pfeiffer chose a layered tulle dress which she wore with a short tuxedo jacket over the top.

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Lily James

Lily James went for full-on glamour in a black satin gown with ruffle details.

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Elisabeth Moss

The Handmaid's Tale's leading lady Elisabeth Moss wore a long-sleeved dress with Peter Pan collar.

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Kate Hudson

Kate Hudson played up her pixie crop with an ultra-feminine sheer, low-cut dress with strategically placed necklace.

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Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey lived up to her diva reputation in a fishtail gown with slashed neckline.

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Saoirse Ronan

Style maven Saoirse Ronan went for a futuristic black one-sleeved gown with silver accents.

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Natalie Portman and America Ferrera

Natalie Portman and America Ferrera attended the Golden Globes together, with Natalie choosing an elegant dress with boxy-neckline and sweetheart cut, while newly pregnant America chose a simple black dress worn with a blazer over it.

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Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman always rules the red carpet and tonight was no different in a floor-length lace gown with high neck.

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Greta Gerwig

Ladybird director Greta Gerwig chose a one-shouldered dress teamed with a gold choker.

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Halle Berry

Age-defying Halle Berry looked incredible in a sheer lace mini-dress.

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Emilia Clarke

Game of Thrones' Emilia Clarke was miles away from her on-screen persona in a very modern strapless dress, which she wore with her trademark peroxide blonde locks and bold red lips.

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Gal Gadot

Wonder Woman's Gal Gadot kept it simple in a black ruched column dress with an accompanying bolero by Tom Ford.

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Mary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige injected some fun into her LBD with one shimmering silver sleeve and panel in her skirt.

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Reese Witherspoon

Times Up kickstarter Reese Witherspoon opted for a simple yet chic one-shouldered gown with mermaid-skirt.

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Sally Hawkins

Nominee Sally Hawkins chose a full black skirt with asymmetrical velvet top.

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Penelope Cruz

Penelope Cruz - soon to be on our TV screen as Donatella Versace in American Crime Story - looked beautiful in an off-the-shoulder lace dress with a train by Ralph and Russo.