Matt Damon promises family he will spend less time working

Matt Damon announced plans to cut back on work so he can spend more time with his family. Matt’s wife, Luciana Barroso Damon, voiced concern that the actor might be spending too much time away from his family, which includes daughter Isabella, 16 months next week, and stepdaughter Alexia, 9.

[Luciana asked me] to take a break from work. She saw a pile of scripts, and when I told her they were the movies I was supposed to shoot in the fall, she asked me if I still wanted to be her husband.

Matt still has a few more acting gigs to finish up before he can slow down, including the Gus Van Sant biopic about Harvey Milk.

Source: Starpulse

Comments

Something about that rubs me the wrong way. I’m all for spending time with family and of course that should be Matt’s first priority but is she threatening to divorce him if he makes movies? She knew that he was an actor when she married him and there should be some sort of happy medium in my opinion.

- Kimber Christian on October 3rd, 2007

Wow! If only more Hollywood types thought this way. This is how you make a marriage and a family work. Kudos to him for understanding this.

- Dana on October 3rd, 2007

Hah! You go girl. Good for her. Obviously Matt has no problem with taking a break or there’d be problems. Read what he said, he had a PILE of scripts from movieS that were all to be shot in the fall. If he were single that would be one thing but he has a wife and two daughters to consider now. I completely understand why it might be exasperating at times for his wife.

- Jessica L. on October 3rd, 2007

Lucy left her daughter with her mother for like 2 years while she trotted the globe with Matt when they were dating. She spent nearly a year living in NY while Matt shot back to back films, leaving her daughter with her mother in Miami. And she NEVER misses a red carpet photo op. This is nothing more than Matt Damon drumming up publicity for himself. He’s not working because he’s not getting the offers.

P.S. They were just photographed at a local playground WITHOUT their kids, but it’s funny that you never see or read about either of them doing anything WITH their kids.

- Sarah on October 3rd, 2007

I’m rather surprised he would tell the press that. That’s ammunition for family problems later on. The tabloids will bring that up in two months and make it sound like Matt and his wife are having a marriage breakdown.

- Ans on October 3rd, 2007

I don’t know, that comment can be taken one of two ways. There is of course the divorce threat, but there is also the hurt wife route. He is going to be gone for months on end, perhaps Luciana was concerned that he was no longer focused on the marriage and did he really want to be in it?

Either way, I’m glad they managed to talk it out and find common ground.

- Mary-Helen on October 3rd, 2007

I’m sure Luciana meant that half jokingly. Matt always jokes around. If he’s telling the press this then it’s really not to be taken seriously.

- Alicia A. on October 3rd, 2007

Matt’s made the same comment at least 20 or 30 times over the last couple of months during promotion for his latest movie.

It’s always stated in a semi-joking manner, such as “I was looking at projects for fall and my wife said to me, ‘Do you like being married?’”

So Matt says he won’t work on any projects until January 2008. He’s been working pretty much non-stop for a couple of years, and he was always going to take a break.

- Jane on October 3rd, 2007

I totally agree with Dana and Jessica L.
Some people wants to see her in a “bitchy” way. She is his wife, they have 2 daughters, shooting so many movieS would keep him away for a looooooooooong time.. Like Jessica said, if he were single that would be one thing, but being a husband and a father his commitment is not just about supporting them financially, it’s about giving time and attention. A lot of men doesn’t have the possibility to be at home for months, but fortunately, he does.

- Luciana on October 3rd, 2007

She married him knowing he is a movie star, if she wanted a regular guy who worked 9-5 she should have found it lol. The way she likes vacations and living the rich life, someone gotta make the money in the family.

- gianna on October 4th, 2007

She likely said it in a joking way, but still, at least she has people around to help her out. When my husband deploys in a few weeks, I will be 100% alone with my daughter. I have no one at all to help me out and I do it just fine.

- S on October 4th, 2007

I agree with you Kimber. I read an interview awhile ago with Matt Damon…he stated that the Bourne series saved him financially. He’s an actor, that’s what he does…I don’t think she’s working, so they have to make ends meet somehow. Maybe the comment was in jest, but to me it sounded threatening. I would never tell my husband that and he would never say the same to me. She knew what he did when she met him…that’s how he pays the bills.

- Aloe on October 4th, 2007

That comment is just odd, I am sure it’s hard to have a major movie star husband and stay home with the kids when all the women want him. What drives you to him also drives you crazy I am sure.

- Bella on October 4th, 2007

You guys take things WAY too seriously. It sounds like she was saying it more in a joking manner. I’m sure that if they were having that kind of problem in their marriage, he certainly wouldn’t tell the press. He’s always been far more reserved than that about his private life. Geez. . .learn to lighten up a bit and give the guy a break.

- taylor on October 4th, 2007

Taylor I think you have the right take on this. There is no way he’d make that comment if it was a “threat”. And please, there is no reason he has to work the way he did when he was single. I am sure they can pay the bills for a long time with what he’s made doing the Bourne series. As someone noted above he’s said that himself. I think the whole point of his comment was that he used to work a ton and now he needs to slow down.

- Kris on October 4th, 2007

Aloe, i don’t think they have to make ends meet. he makes millions and can easily take time off if he wants too.

I agree with everyone who says that it was said in a joking manner. If it had been a threat do you really believe he’d repeat it to the press?

- Sarita on October 4th, 2007

What a funny comment!! ha ha ha ha

Ps. Taylor I agree with you 100%

- Bren on October 4th, 2007

Aloe, seriously? I doubt they’ll go bankrupt if he takes some time off for his FAMILY. I mean, how much money does he make for his movies? MILLIONS!

And a lot of you are taking this comment WAY out of context! Come on, it was most likely said in a joking manner and even if it wasn’t, good for her! She goes after what she wants. She wants a husband and she wants her daughters to have a father around. And when he’s away working on movies, they can’t really have that. So, good for you, Luciana!

- Stephany on October 4th, 2007

When I read that comment I imagined her saying it in a joking manner. Kind of like, gee, you seem to want to spend a lot of time away from me.

- terri on October 4th, 2007

As Ans guessed, the tabloids have picked it up already. Very snarky reference to the story in the Star here:

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2007/10/05/2007-10-05_britney_spears_fate_spearheads_pals_conc.html

- Jane on October 5th, 2007

Guys, lighten up! I am sure that she was joking with him. There’s no way she’d divorce him for making movies. I am sure it was only a joke. Just a joke. Kinda like I tell my guy “if you don’t take out the trash, I’m gonna kill you!” It’s just a joke. I’m not really going to murder him for not taking out the trash!

- Tasha on October 5th, 2007

I think it speaks to his their sense of humor… i like it. They know what’s important.

- Campbell on October 6th, 2007