Matt Damon has never pretended his friendship with Ben Affleck is just a Hollywood storyline. This week, he put it in plain terms when he talked about being present for some of Affleck’s hardest public years, including his divorces and his struggles with alcohol.
The comments came during a joint appearance by Damon and Affleck on The Howard Stern Show while promoting their upcoming Netflix film The Rip.
Damon said he was there through the difficult chapters
Asked directly about whether he could step in and support Affleck during periods like divorce and addiction, Damon made it clear he did not keep his distance. He said he was there for all of it, framing it as what real friendship looks like when life gets messy, not just when things are going well.
Affleck responded with appreciation in the same conversation, acknowledging the value of that kind of steady support.
The conversation touched on the public nature of Affleck’s personal life
Affleck’s private life has played out publicly for years. His divorce from Jennifer Garner was finalized in 2018 after they announced their split in 2015. Later, he married Jennifer Lopez in 2022, and multiple outlets have reported the marriage ended in divorce in 2025.
Damon did not turn it into gossip. The point he kept coming back to was loyalty and showing up, even when the world is watching, and people have opinions.
Why does this stand out from normal celebrity friendship talk
A lot of celebrity friendships are built around premieres, parties, and photo ops. This one has a different foundation. Damon and Affleck have a long history that predates their fame, and they have continued to work together in a way that keeps them in each other’s orbit professionally and personally. Their Stern interview leaned into that reality: the friendship is not performative, and it did not disappear when one of them hit a rough patch.
Their next collaboration is already on the calendar
The Rip is their next major project together, and the press run is part of why these personal topics surfaced again. According to coverage of the interview, the film is set to premiere on Netflix on January 16.
