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Matt Damon denies using homophobic slur in 'personal life'

Matt Damon has clarified comments he made about using a homophobic slur in a recent interview.

In a chat with The Sunday Times, the actor talked about a dinner conversation with his family and appeared to indicate he had only recently reassessed using what his daughter called the "f-slur" after conversations with her.

The interview sparked a major backlash, with many, including fellow actor Billy Eichner, slamming Damon for apparently wanting credit for only recently realising how hurtful the word is for LGBTQ+ people.

However, the Stillwater star has now clarified his remarks - claiming the discussion had been misunderstood, and he had never used the slur personally, but was trying to show his daughter how common it had been until relatively recently.

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"During a recent interview, I recalled a discussion I had with my daughter where I attempted to contextualise for her the progress that has been made - though by no means completed - since I was growing up in Boston and, as a child, heard the word 'f**' used on the street before I knew what it even referred to," the 50-year-old said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

"I explained that that word was used constantly and casually and was even a line of dialogue in a movie of mine (Stuck on You) as recently as 2003; she in turn expressed incredulity that there could ever have been a time where that word was used unthinkingly.

"To my admiration and pride, she was extremely articulate about the extent to which that word would have been painful to someone in the LGBTQ+ community regardless of how culturally normalised it was. I not only agreed with her but thrilled at her passion, values, and desire for social justice."

He added, "I have never called anyone 'f****t' in my personal life and this conversation with my daughter was not a personal awakening. I do not use slurs of any kind.

Clarifying his original comments, Damon concluded: "I have learned that eradicating prejudice requires active movement toward justice rather than finding passive comfort in imagining myself 'one of the good guys.' And given that open hostility against the LGBTQ+ community is still not uncommon, I understand why my statement led many to assume the worst. To be as clear as I can be, I stand with the LGBTQ+ community."