Some things are made to last. Case in point? Late-night talk show and Oscar host Jimmy Kimmel and Academy Award-winning actor Matt Damon have kept a “feud” going so long it’s now a teenager. While it may seem like it’s all in fun, neither can let go of their mutual hatred for each other.
The feud was just reignited at the 2024 Academy Awards when Kimmel did a segment with Messi, the world-famous dog from the movie Anatomy of a Fall. Messi was strolling down the Hollywood Walk of Fame and just happened to “pee” on Damon’s star. How does such a thing happen? What are the chances?
The question remains, how did the whole thing get started? Who fired the first shot? Will the madness ever end? Will there ever be peace in this mixed-up world we live in?
2005 – Jimmy Kimmel starts the War
Every great war has a beginning. This one started innocuously enough. Early in Kimmel’s tenure (look at his little babyface!), he made a throwaway joke at Damon’s expense. “Apologies to Matt Damon, but we ran out of time.” Who knew those ten simple words would come to shape a bloody feud that would last for years and affect the lives of celebrities all across the entertainment spectrum?
2006 – Matt Damon’s First (and Very Brief) Appearance on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’
When Kimmel started using the “apologies” line, Damon didn’t even know Kimmel at that point, and that his name was just a throwaway. However, he made his first appearance on the show in 2006. Kimmel explained the joke and introduced the actor, and when Damon sat down he was cut off.
Damon cursed his nemesis and stormed off the set. Hilariously, people weren’t sure if he was joking or not!
2008 – Jimmy Kimmel’s Then-Girlfriend Sarah Silverman Gets Involved
In a different era, Kimmel and comedian Sarah Silverman were dating. In an attempt to poke some fun at the whole situation between the two, Silverman brought a video to the show stating that she was “fu**ing Matt Damon.” It’s a catchy little tune that cemented the feud as something that wasn’t going away anytime soon.
2013 – Matt Damon Hijacks ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’
Visually, this is one of the best gags the two had together. Damon interviews Silverman while Kimmel is in the back of the stage tied up in a chair and gagged. It worked so well on so many levels, and showed that Damon was bringing the heat to the feud and wasn’t about to take his foot off the gas anytime soon.
2015 – The Feuders Try Couples Counseling
This is a good one. Damon dresses up like Dr. Phil and brings one of the best impressions of the hacky “doctor” the world has ever seen. They follow this up with a riveting couples counseling session where the pair attempt to hash out their differences under the tutelage of Dr. Kim Canter Burger PhD.
The facial expressions alone on this one are worth the price of admission.
Oh, and they tried again:
2016 – Ben Affleck Tries the Ol’ ‘Two in a Trenchcoat’ Trick
One of the benchmarks of the ongoing feud are the visual gags. During the 2010s, the feud mostly consisted of Affleck finding more and more esoteric ways of sneaking on to the program. In this instance, he attaches a harness to his good friend Affleck and hides under his coat. “You’ve ballooned,” Kimmel said. “Wow, I didn’t know tonight was about body shaming,” Affleck replied.
Feb. 7, 2017 – Matt Damon Sneaks on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ In Disguise
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Damon took this to heart by dressing up as then Patriots QB Tom Brady as a new disguise to make his way onto the show. Kimmel was a little confused as to why Brady would come out in full uniform, including helmet, but the ruse truly ended when Kimmel removed the helmet and saw “Brady” for who he really was.
Feb. 22, 2017 – Jimmy Kimmel Takes Some Jabs at Matt Damon at the Oscars
Not one to leave a joke on the table, Kimmel made sure to take a potshot at Damon when he was hosting the Oscars in 2017. In an interview on Good Morning America, Kimmel quipped (quite seriously) “Unfortunately, we’ll see Matt Damon.” To make sure everyone knew how he felt, he added, “of course I’m rooting against him.”
Damon, by the way, was the producer of the Oscar-nominated Manchester by the Sea.
Oct. 11, 2017 – Matt Damon the Hacker Shows Jimmy Kimmel What’s What
Maybe the whole “I want Damon to lose” thing really lit a fire under him, because Damon made his biggest intrusion yet on Jimmy Kimmel Live! by hacking the screen during a Chris Hemsworth interview. This was a follow-up to his previous appearance in the dressing room where Kimmel said, “It’s the mighty Thor not the muddy bore, so maybe take a walk!”
When he showed up he yelled, “I’m on the show” and “I hacked into the system.”
Oct. 23, 2017 – Matt Damon Is George Clooney’s Babysitter
This one was a little fun but Kimmel was, as usual, trying to do his job when that jabroni Damon sneaks his way onto the show… again! This time he’s watching George Clooney’s kids while Clooney gets interviewed. Doesn’t he have anything better to do?
2018 – Ben Affleck Joins the Dark Side and Pledges Allegiance to Jimmy Kimmel Over Matt Damon
This had to hurt. Affleck showed his true allegiance when he claimed to be “Team Jimmy Kimmel” and forgot about his so-called alliance with Damon. This of course came after reports that Damon wanted to bail on him for Hemsworth.
May 2019 – Jimmy Kimmel Hires Notorious Thug Tom Brady To Deface Matt Damon’s House
What’s better than a little house destruction? Kimmel got the real Tom Brady to practice throwing spirals through the window of a house. That house happened to “belong” to Damon, who wasn’t thrilled with the results. Hearing Damon yell, “You know I live here!” makes it all worth it.
March 27, 2023 – Matt Damon Fires Volleys Against Jimmy Kimmel on Red Carpet
When Kimmel hosted the 2023 Oscars for the third time, he mentioned that he was “thrilled” that Damon wasn’t going to be there. When the issue of the famous envelope mix-up from 2017 was brought up, Kimmel said, “I believe his presence in some way caused” the famous mishap.
March 28, 2023 – Ben Affleck Tries To Mend Fences Between Matt Damon and Jimmy Kimmel
This was the last thing we heard before Kimmel kicked the feud back into high gear with the whole Messi peeing incident. Affleck had had enough of the fighting, and tried to make nice between the two feuding celebrities. Affleck then brought up Damon on Facetime, whose face kept hilariously pausing at the most unflattering moments.
“Oh wow, seems like we’re having a connection problem with the WiFi,” Kimmel said. With such a robust history between these two, it feels like this feud is just getting started, even all these years.