Matt Damon opens up on cancel culture and backlash, says 'getting cancelled will follow you to the grave'

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, longtime collaborators and friends, have used their recent promotional appearances for the Netflix crime thriller ‘The Rip’ to make headlines beyond the movie itself, particularly with comments about cancel culture that have sparked fresh debate in Hollywood and beyond.

Matt Damon Sheds Light on Cancel Culture

Damon made his remarks on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, where he and Affleck discussed how public backlash today can extend far beyond the event that triggered it.

Joe Rogan described being “canceled” as “this idea that one thing you said or one thing you did, and now we’re going to exaggerate that to the fullest extent and cast you out of civilisation for life.”

“In perpetuity,” Damon replied about the forever nature of cancel culture. “Because I bet some of those people would’ve preferred to go to jail for 18 months or whatever, and then come out and say, ‘I paid my debt. Like, we’re done. Like, can we be done?’ The thing about that getting kind of excoriated, publicly like that, it just never ends. And it’s the first thing that… you know, it just will follow you to the grave.”

Damon’s candid comments come at a time when discussions about accountability, public shaming and forgiveness are prominent in entertainment and social media. He is speaking from experience with controversy of his own, including a high-profile backlash in 2021.

During an interview with The Sunday Times, Damon said he had stopped using a derogatory term only “months ago” because his daughter wrote him a “treatise” on “how that word is dangerous.” That interview led to criticism online. Damon later released a detailed statement clarifying his views and his support for the LGBTQ+ community, explaining his personal history with language and prejudice.

In that statement, he wrote: “I have never called anyone ‘f****t’ in my personal life and this conversation with my daughter was not a personal awakening. I do not use slurs of any kind,” and added that he stands with the LGBTQ+ community.

Despite the controversy, Damon’s career has continued without major disruption. He has starred in films such as ‘Air’ and ‘Oppenheimer’, and he has further high-profile projects in the pipeline, including the anticipated lead role in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’.

More About The Rip

While Damon discusses culture and controversy, he and Affleck are also promoting ‘The Rip’, a gritty crime drama now streaming on Netflix. The film reunites the pair as veteran police officers in Miami caught up in a tense story of suspicion and moral conflict.

In The Rip, Lieutenant Dane Dumars (Damon) and Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne (Affleck) lead a tactical narcotics unit that discovers a hidden cache of cartel cash during an investigation. What follows is a test of loyalty, ethics and trust, as pressures mount from external forces and internal doubts about right and wrong.

The film, directed and written by Joe Carnahan, is inspired by real experiences from law enforcement, though it remains a fictional story. Carnahan drew on a true event in Miami where a stash of millions in cash was uncovered during a raid, providing the germ of the narrative.

Critics have given ‘The Rip’ generally positive responses, noting its grim tone and strong performances in a genre more familiar for action than ethical ambiguity. A Rotten Tomatoes score above many recent Netflix action films reflects this reception, with commentators pointing to the moral dilemmas at the heart of the plot.

Affleck and Damon’s on-screen reunion draws attention in itself, given their long history together dating back to ‘Good Will Hunting’. At the same time, the film has inspired varied audience reactions, with some praising its tension and casting, and others finding its plot conventional or predictable, as reflected in online discussions.