Matt Damon Recalls Hospital Visit After Clash With Ben Affleck

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have been friends for over four decades; however, they have experienced their fair share of disagreements.

The actors, well-known for their Hollywood bromance, recently reflected on their years-long friendship and their “biggest fight” that landed Damon in the hospital.

Surprisingly, Ben Affleck’s primary concern at the time wasn’t his best pal’s well-being. The “Batman” star and Matt Damon have been friends since their childhood, bonding over their shared love for acting.

Damon and Affleck recounted the tale of youth on a recent episode of “The Tonight Show.” A snippet of their appearance, shared on YouTube, captured the moment host Jimmy Fallon asked Damon about the time he got injured in the eye.

“It was our biggest fight,” Affleck chimed in, to which Damon agreed. The latter recalled that the incident happened about 35 years ago while they were shooting scenes for the prep-school drama “School Ties,” with fellow actors Brendan Fraser, Cole Hauser, and Chris O’Donnell.

Damon noted that the group was bored between takes and found acorns while taking a walk around the school they used for the drama. They thought it would be fun to throw them at each other, but disaster struck while they were playing.

Damon recalled that Affleck had aimed an acorn at Hauser, who dodged at the last minute. “It literally hit me in the eye. It’s the only time in my life I didn’t have time to blink. I had to go to the hospital,” Damon said. “They gave me an eye patch that I had to wear for a few days.”

Following the unfortunate incident, Affleck confessed that the first thought that raced through his head wasn’t Damon’s well-being but his own. “Mind you, I had like three lines in the movie. And while I cared about Matt having vision, my first thought was, ‘I gotta be fired for this,'” Affleck shared.

Fortunately for him, he wasn’t fired from the movie, and Damon got to spend time with late filmmaker Newt Arnold, who also had an eyepatch. Their interaction generated positive responses for YouTube users, with many dubbing them the best Hollywood duo.

“Whenever Ben and Matt are on together, the whole energy of the interview just changes. They genuinely crack each other up,” someone noted. Another agreed, writing, “When these two collaborate, they always knock it out of the park, one of the best dynamic duos in Hollywood.”

Damon and Affleck’s interview marked one of their many stops while promoting their new movie, “The Rip,” out on Netflix by January 16. The Blast reported that they appeared on Sirius XM’s “The Howard Stern Show” to talk about the film and their decades-long friendship.

Damon reflected on their bond, believing they were the luckiest duo to have each other through the good and the bad days. “We hit the lottery. We hit it together,” he declared. The “Bourne” franchise star echoed similar sentiments when host Howard Stern queried him about his support for Affleck.

Damon boldly declared that he had been by Affleck’s side throughout his controversial moments, including his divorces and alcohol issues. He also shared the secret to their enduring friendship, saying, “Our relationship isn’t affected by what people are saying.”

During their appearance on Stern’s show, Damon revealed that his wife, Luciana Barroso, once had a crush on Affleck. He noted that when she watched their breakout movie, “Good Will Hunting,” she thought Affleck was the cute one.

Damon joked that he had told his wife she got the wrong one; however, Barroso’s instincts were spot on. While speaking to Entertainment Tonight at the New York City premiere for their new movie, Damon revealed Affleck didn’t live up to Barroso’s expectations.

According to Damon, Barroso’s interest in Affleck dwindled after meeting him in person. He noted that her past crush on his best pal was a longtime joke in their family, with Affleck cutting in that it was a source of pride for him until he didn’t meet Barroso’s expectations.

Although Affleck did not live up to Barroso’s expectations, that did not stop her from trying to find him the perfect match. The Blast reported in 2025 that a source claimed Damon’s wife was actively involved in rekindling Affleck’s love life.

The source claimed that Affleck had gone on “a couple of under-the-radar dates,” as Barroso was “keen” on helping him rebound from his second divorce. The actor has been married twice, first to Jennifer Garner and then to Jennifer Lopez.

Another source claimed that Affleck wasn’t ready for love as he was focused on work. Nonetheless, he hoped to “date a woman who is sober,” the source added. As stated, Affleck has been open about his alcohol troubles, with multiple rehabilitations to overcome his addiction.