Matt Damon revealed that his wife, Luciana Barroso, experienced a frightening brain aneurysm two years ago.
In a GQ cover story published Thursday, the 56-year-old actor shared that Barroso’s “scary” medical emergency occurred just one week before the 2024 Oscars, where his film “Oppenheimer” took home seven awards, including Best Picture.
Although the health scare forced the couple to skip the star-studded ceremony, Damon said they were still able to attend an Oscars afterparty.
Damon explained that while he and Barroso were unable to attend the Oscars ceremony, his wife had recovered enough to join him for an afterparty later that evening.
“It was first night she felt good enough to get up and had her energy back,” the “Good Will Hunting” actor recalled. “And she surprised me and got a dress and we went out to the afterparty.”
According to Damon, Barroso was determined to celebrate because she remembered that he had missed the 2007 Oscars, when “The Departed” took home major awards, while he was filming “The Bourne Ultimatum.”
“She was like, ‘This time we’re going out,’” Damon shared. “And it was pretty f—ing heroic of her to do that and really meaningful.”
The actor also reassured fans that Barroso has since made a full recovery, confirming that she is now “totally fine.”
Damon confirmed that Barroso, pictured at the “Crime 101” premiere in February, is now “totally fine” following her health scare.
Elsewhere in the interview, the actor reflected on his lingering regret over missing the 2007 Oscars, particularly the unforgettable moment when Martin Scorsese won Best Director for “The Departed.”
“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,” Damon recalled. “And then when he won, I was jumping up and down in the bedroom and I remember being really excited.”
Damon admitted he was caught off guard when the crime thriller went on to win Best Picture, realizing only then how much he wished he had attended the ceremony.
He said he “realized in that moment I hadn’t even considered that that could happen.”
“And I turned to Lucy and I was like, ‘s–t, we should be there!’”
Damon, pictured alongside Barroso at the “Animals” premiere on Oct. 1, also opened up about the family’s long-standing rule limiting how much time he spends away from home for work.
The couple, who tied the knot in 2005, share four daughters: Alexia, 27, Isabella, 20, Gia, 18, and Stella, 16.
During his GQ interview, Damon explained that his family typically follows a strict “two-week rule” when it comes to his work-related absences. However, they agreed to make an exception while he completed the final stretch of filming “The Odyssey.”
“I was away for three and a half weeks. The first half of the movie was the hardest because the kids were still in school,” the actor explained.
Damon, pictured with Barroso at “The Accountant 2” premiere in March 2025, shared that his family remained supportive of his extended time away from home because they understood how significant his role in “The Odyssey” was to his career.
“And then once the summer hit, they could come to set and we could be together,” the actor explained.
According to Damon, his wife and daughters “are huge Chris Nolan fans” and recognized that starring in the filmmaker’s epic was an “incredible” opportunity. As a result, they “were really supportive” despite the unusually long separation.
“It was a sacrifice for them,” Damon acknowledged, “and they were awesome about it.”
