Matt Damon has opened up about a frightening health scare involving his wife, Luciana Barroso, who was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm and underwent surgery shortly before the 2024 Oscars. The actor ultimately skipped the prestigious ceremony to be by her side as she recovered.
Damon and Barroso have been together for more than 20 years, and share four daughters together.
In an interview with GQ published on November 5, he reflected on the difficult period, which coincided with the awards season surrounding his film Oppenheimer.
Having regretted missing the 2007 Oscars, where Martin Scorsese won Best Director for The Departed, Damon explained how Barroso made a meaningful gesture ahead of the 2024 ceremony to ensure he wouldn’t miss another landmark moment in his career.
“I remember I was shooting second unit for The Bourne Ultimatum during that Oscars, so I didn’t go,” he said, according to UNILAD. “I was living in Miami at the time, and I had an infant. Lucy and I were laying in bed watching it and so nervous for Marty. And then when he won, I was jumping up and down in the bedroom and I remember being really excited. And then the next category was Best Picture, and The Departed won.”
Matt Damon’s wife had a brain aneurysm
He turned to his wife, explaining how he ‘hadn’t even considered that that could happen’ told her: “S***, we should be there!”
“And then the next time that that happened was on Oppenheimer, and we had this whole scary thing happen where my wife had a brain aneurysm,” he said.
Damon reassured fans that his wife has since made a full recovery, saying she is “totally fine, thank God.” However, her operation took place just days before the 2024 Academy Awards, where Oppenheimer and director Christopher Nolan celebrated a hugely successful night.
“It was the first night she felt good enough to get up and had her energy back. And she surprised me and got a dress and we went out to the after-party, because she remembered that the last time it happened, I didn’t do it,” Damon shared, according to UNILAD.
“And she was like, ‘This time we’re going out’. And it was pretty f***ing heroic of her to do that and really meaningful,” he said.
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