Matt Damon had a terrible 2017. The last half of the year saw his biggest career-benefactor outed as a serial sexual predator; two of his starring-role films – Downsizing and Suburbicon – bombed bigly at the box office; and Matt could not and would not stop saying dumb sh-t about sexual predators and the Me Too movement. The last six months of 2017 were basically the final nails in the coffin of Matt’s wholesome-everyman persona. Even though he apologized for his comments, I think it will be difficult for many people to look at him the same way. So what will Matty D do when the going gets rough? He’ll move to Australia, because it’s not like they speak English and get the internet Down Under??
Matt Damon is moving his family to Australia — in part because the liberal star’s fed up with President Trump. Damon, 47, reportedly has purchased a property in Byron Bay, New South Wales, according to Sydney’s Sunday Telegraph. The home’s next door to a place owned by Chris Hemsworth — with whom Damon recently appeared in “Thor: Ragnarok.”
A source exclusively tells Page Six: “Matt’s telling friends and colleagues in Hollywood that he’s moving the family to Australia” because the activist actor disagrees with Trump’s policies. The president’s frequently butted heads with liberal Hollywood A-listers including Meryl Streep. The source added, “Matt’s saying the move will not impact his work — as he will travel to wherever his projects are shooting. He’s also telling friends he wants to have a safe place to raise his kids.” Damon has four children with wife Luciana Barroso.
Perhaps Damon’s also allowing some of the controversy to die down after he had to publicly apologize for insensitive comments he made about the wave of sexual assault allegations shaking Hollywood. Either way, it looks like Damon’s cleared his schedule for the big move Down Under: He’s producing a film version of Agatha Christie’s “Witness for the Prosecution” for Affleck, 45, to star in — but besides a cameo in the upcoming “Ocean’s 8” that’s wrapped, Damon has no major projects lined up as an actor. His last film, “Downsizing,” was a critical and financial disappointment. A rep for Damon did not get back to us.
My guess is that Matt Damon is “moving to Australia” in the same way that Angelina and Brad “moved to France.” Which is to say, they’re rich actors and they can afford to maintain multiple homes on multiple continents. I don’t doubt Matt’s purchase of a home next door to Chris Hemsworth, and it’s probably a very beautiful vacation home where he’ll spend some time every year. But moving to Australia permanently just because Trump is in office? Eh. While I have a low opinion of Matty D right now, I don’t think he’s That Guy. (Besides, he’s a white dude – he’s literally the only demographic who will “win” in Trump’s America.)
Update: Matty D’s publicist denied this, saying: “Matt has visited Australia several times recently but he has not bought a house there nor is he moving there.” Sorry, Australia! You’ll just have to do without this particular d-bag. He’s all ours.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Without bothering to analyze his true motives, I’ll just say I’m kinda jealous. Moving that far away sounds pretty good right now, I can’t lie. A friend of mine just went to New Zealand for a couple weeks and is thinking about going back permanently. Her husband recently died, she’s freaked out about our gun culture, and it’s just her and her young son and I think it sounds like a nice plan.
I envy your friend. I looked into immigrating to New Zealand after the election and continue to get emails regarding the process. It seems like a very very nice place to live.
Me too! I’d give anything to move to Middle Earth. Wish I had the means.
Oh, Esmom, tell your friend to just do it! New Zealand is an incredibly beautiful country, the people are lovely and they’ve got a fabulous, new, young, female, liberal Prime Minister! My late husband was a Kiwi, so I’ve spent so much time there, it’s like a second home. Our plan was to relocate the family to NZ, but life and death intervened. Thankfully, we live in Australia, and apart from a ridiculous conservative government (named The “Liberal” Party – history explains why…), its pretty heavenly.
As for Matt Damon, yeah, naaah. We’ve got enough of our own d!ckheads, so you can keep him, thanks all the same.
Latest word is that New Zealand has gotten extremely expensive and still is, just like many other places. So that has to be factored in. I would be very careful making a move like that. At this point, the pros do seem to outweigh that one con.
Yes, sadly, it has become very expensive in New Zealand. One would have to choose carefully a place to live, whether renting or buying, but it is still possible to have a good life there. Or just come to Australia and be done with it. 🇦🇺 or 🇳🇿
It is very expensive, and wages are low. It’s why we are in Aus:)
I know a ridiculous number of people who have moved to NZ wealthy to retire and are back working.
That being said, it’s still a stunningly beautiful place with many great things going for it.
I mean, god forbid you stick around and use your white male privelege and middle America popularity to try and fix things.
ETA I say this as an Aussie who goes to Byron pretty often and would still be super excited if I saw him there 🤷♀️
EXACTLY! It would be great if rich white dudes spent their energy and privilege fighting oppression rather than peacing out and leaving black women to clean up their messes…
He’s selfish and something tells me there’s more to it… He was close to Weinstein.
He’s like a liberal Trump. If you look at his behavior, it’s all about him and his buddies.
You know those guys that are at best ignorant and more likely toxic and always proclaiming they’re a Nice Guy? I think Matt Damon is one of those.
Hi anna222 – fellow Aussie here. I was thinking the same thing. Smells to me like a rat looking for a way to desert the sinking ship… I’m speaking figuratively, obviously. The ship isn’t actually sinking, but he is a rat.
Fellow Aussie here too – but the type of Aussie who sees the idea of Matt Damon moving to Byron Bay and thinks “Ugh, anti-vax cult ground zero, as if it wasn’t insufferable enough now it comes with extra Damon.”
Ugh! Oh to be rich and to be able to just move where you like in the world without the worry of visas. Makes me sick how the rich can do as they please.
Ummmm is he aware of Australian politics at all? It’s not exactly all left leaning liberal land of kumbaya.
I mean Oz is utterly beautiful but…I have four words for you…visas for white farmers. And that’s just this week.
I was thinking the same thing . As a South African (black South African) we don’t have the best relationship with Australia because White South Africans keep ‘threatening’ to move to Australia since the 1994 democratic elections; and many have. And now it’s this visas to white South African thing and many other things too in the past. Australia to many South Africans is not associated with liberalism.
Bye Bye Matty sorry everyone in America hurt your FEE WINGS miss ya xoxoxo
Yep, see ya. Don’t let the door bang yer arse on the way out!
Agree 100%. Bye.
Hi, Larry. You’re new here!
Nuh-uh. He. Is. Not. Coming. Here. You keep him, because we don’t want him. We have our own f*ckwits to keep our eye on. If he is not happy, tough titties. That’s what happens when you can’t keep your gob shut.
Like all those celebs that moved after George W. Bush…
I love how he assumes Australia wants him. It’s also interesting that he decides to cut and run instead of making his own country a better place. Says a lot about him.
True. It does say alot, he is white rich, male, connected, privileged and he hates Trump America because his kind are being banned? Deported? Detained? Brutally treated by the police?
Instead of staying in US and fighting the good fight he’s planning to move away. I really dislike him now.
Skip
Huh, I thought Australia was really picky about who they let in, hehe..actually, I doubt the whole story..if it had said Canada, close to his beloved Boston, it would make more sense.
They sure were during WWII. My dad and his family applied to go there but they were turned down because my dad’s dad wasn’t in excellent health. Canada was only taking single men. So they ended up in the U.S. since they were out of options.
How does immigration work for these celebrities? Do they obtain holiday/tourist visas? Or do they get the extraordinary ability visa? Are there special working Hollywood visas? If they want a permanent residency visa, does the process get expedited?
I don’t see how you can settle there permanently unless you actually are a permanent resident.
I don’t know about Australia specifically but lots of places you can invest in land or a business and get a resident visa/permit based on that. I would guess that’s what a lot of the rich folks do…
A lot of places will take you and give you a passport if you have $5 million US in the bank.
I’m a US-born citizen but have family in Australia and went to school there. I recently looked into retiring in Oz and unless I have 1.5 million Australian in the bank, it’s not happening. And you have to buy property I think worth over 2 million or invest in a business around that amount. Matt can easily do that. The rest of us normal folks? Well, now I’m researching Portugal for retirement.
Portugal is so popular for Canadians for winter stays… sounds pleasant, peaceful, and cheaper!
Good riddance.
His new next door neighbor is Thor? I’m so jealous! My new neighbor is a wicked witch, worse than the one from the Wizard of Oz. I wish I could afford to live anywhere I want
Aw, I hear you on the neighbor thing. I’ve been pretty lucky on that front but right now I have a pretty deplorable one on one side of me. I have been known to push my way through the bushes on the other side of my house just to avoid passing within a few feet of him on our normal path to the back.
Honestly the most upsetting thing to me in that whole article was that Affleck was going to star in Witness for the Prosecution. I love that book but I’m just can’t with Ben.
Looking at Gone Girl.. I actually think this movie is tailored made for Ben. He fits perfectly. I loved the original movie. Just watched it this past week; along with The 3 faces of Eve. Sadly never read the book (didn’t know there was one). I’ll check with my neighborhood book store for it.
He can fuq off. We don’t want him.
Hi, you’re new here! Just wondering who the “we” is that you’re speaking for.
‘Besides, he’s a white dude – he’s literally the only demographic who will “win” in Trump’s America.”
Rich white dudes yes. Working class white dudes? Not so much
I’m pretty sure he’s already denied he’s “moving there” (like you say vacation home) so whatever.
But since if this was a woman moving closer to a female friend and away from another female friend (say, named “Affleck”) the media would manufacture some horrible cat fight and female hatefest, I’m going to do my part for equality;
“OMG you guys Damon is moving because Affleck was a total B to him and/or because he’s totally jealous and doesn’t want to hang around him anymore and Hemsworth has been bad mouthing Affleck behind his back. They’re all so shrill and full of themselves.”
Yeah that’s about right.
He’s a white dude indeed but her wife is latina. I imagine he could be worried for his wife and kids. It’s not like the USA is a welcoming place for us latinos under Trump.
Yeah, we’re so much better here:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/mar/16/turnbull-refuses-to-condemn-or-support-duttons-comments-on-south-african-farmers
You may wish to reconsider your move Matty…
Wow, uprooting his wife and 4 kids to friggin Australia…? Sounds to me that this is Matt running away because of his bad choices rather then because of trump.
Bye.
lol this is funny because in some ways he IS trumps america
It was already reported by Matt Damon publicist that he is not moving to Australia. It’s a fake story. Everything on internet isn’t true!!
Rich people…they are just like us!
If Trump starts a nuclear war, and with Bolton reportedly coming on, this is quite possible, then no one, not even white men, are going to do well. To me, moving to Australia is a pretty good idea.
I applied for a partner visa to Australia so I can live there permanently with my husband, an Australian citizen. Just this week, after a year, I finally got a case officer and was told what additional documents I have to submit within 28 days. I’m so nervous! I hope I get a visa. My husband needs to live in a place with health insurance due to a heart condition, so unfortunately as much as we love NYC, it isn’t the place for us. Please wish us luck! I’d love to be with him and our cat by mid-year.
(I don’t want Matt Damon ruining Australia for me! Stay in America!)
Good luck, Asiyah! 🍀
I’m jealous honestly. I’d love to go to Australia – not that they don’t have their own set of problems though.
I just don’t get why he is such a story. Oddly enough on both sides. By that I mean the conservatives bash him because he is the liberal elite, and the progressives now bash him because of some of his comments. Which I’ll admit were stupid, but he is the epitome of milk toast and always has been. Yes he seems a bit of an egotistical know it all trying to whitemansplain things, but he hasn’t been accused of directly committing harassment or crimes. Affleck seems to get less and he’s been accused of harassment, and even Rose Mcgowan said Affleck ignored her pleas about Weinsten completely. Yet Damon gets more crap. I just think he is an easy target, but I feel the anger is misdirected and should be more appropriately placed at the perpetrators and the laws that make it easy for the perpetrators to keep doing it. Going after Matt Damon seems like a colossal waste of time, especially if he is going to keep making crappy movies where we don’t see him that much anymore.
Even though this story has been denied. I’m with the story on moving, and I think a lot on here would too. I feel like I’m on a bad and oh so long episode of the Apprentice. Sure I guess I’m so many generations of American I can’t even count them, and I should be like my fore fathers and fight this, but I’m starting to get discouraged on how we do this. The moving to another country is very tempting if you have the means.
HAHAHAHA. He IS Trump’s America! Can’t run away from yourself Matt!
Well he could probably afford it. Chris Hemsworth has property in Byron Bay – think a combo of Tahiti and Malibu. It’s about 700 km north of Sydney. You need at least 3+ million to get into an absolute waterfront property. Most Australians can only dream about having a beachfront property in the place. This one is closer to AUD$5 million
https://www.domain.com.au/9-brownell-drive-byron-bay-nsw-2481-2012839724?topspot=1
Bye! Charter a private plane and take the rest of the celebrities who said they were leaving. I’m waiting…….
Why can’t he go to his wife’s home country? Just sayin…
Matt Damon is a weanie
Buh byyyeeeee loser.
Meh. The non-Trump side of America hates him, more like.
If you aren’t Aboriginal, Australia ain’t your home. 😒