Matt Damon expressed his sympathy for Ben Affleck, saying he “can’t imagine” enduring the same level of public “scrutiny” that his friend faces amid his marriage troubles with Jennifer Lopez.
In a recent episode of the “Radio Times Podcast” featuring Ben’s brother, Casey Affleck, Damon made a rare comment about his “Good Will Hunting” co-star while discussing his own efforts to maintain a private life.
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“I’ve been really lucky in that way… especially when I look at Casey’s brother, Ben,” he said. “I can’t imagine living under that kind of scrutiny.”
Damon, 53, noted that Ben has faced intense media attention for 25 years, while he has been fortunate to avoid that aspect of fame, despite their parallel careers.
“Back when we gained fame with our Oscar-winning film in 1997, Ben’s life was more often in the spotlight because he was young and single at the time,” Damon explained. “That magazine culture that was so huge back then kind of ignored me.”
He added, “Right, like a guy who’s married, it’s so boring,” referencing his marriage to Luciana Barroso in 2005.
Damon continued, “What would sell those magazines were scandal and sex, and as long as you didn’t engage in that kind of behavior, it wasn’t really worth their time to wait around for your picture, so I ended up kind of getting left alone.”
His comments about 51-year-old Ben come after reports indicated that his marriage to Lopez ended in March, according to sources that previously informed Page Six.
