Matt Damon says wife had brain aneurysm and surgery a week before 2024 Oscars

Surgery a week before the Oscars

Matt Damon, 56, told GQ that his wife, Luciana Barroso, had a brain aneurysm in 2024 and needed emergency surgery seven days before the Academy Awards that year. The ceremony was the night Oppenheimer, in which Damon acted, won seven Oscars from 13 nominations. Damon said he was ready to give up the ceremony to stay by her side.

“We had this whole scary thing happen where my wife had a brain aneurysm.”

Damon said Barroso is now doing well, adding that she is totally fine.

An unexpected night out

Barroso had only that evening felt strong enough to get up. She bought a dress and told Damon they should go to the after-party, which he described as a heroic gesture. Damon said she remembered that he had skipped the previous one, and that this time they were going out together.

“She's totally fine, thank God.”

A missed night in 2007 and a family rule

Damon also missed the Oscars in 2007, when The Departed won best picture. He was shooting second unit for The Bourne Ultimatum at the time, living in Miami with an infant, and watched the ceremony at home with his wife. He said he regretted it bitterly in the weeks that followed.

The couple had a rule of no work trips longer than 14 days. Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey broke it: Damon was away for three and a half weeks during the first phase of filming. He said the first half of the shoot was the hardest because the daughters were still at school, but that they were wonderful about the sacrifice.

Damon and Barroso met in Miami in 2003, when she worked behind a bar, and have been married for nearly 21 years. They have four daughters and often attend red carpets together as a family.

Awards buzz for The Odyssey

GoldDerby has reported that six stars of The Odyssey could be in contention for Oscar nominations. Damon is widely expected to be nominated for Best Actor at the 2027 Academy Awards for his lead role. Anne Hathaway and Samantha Morton could be considered for Best Supporting Actress, while Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson and John Leguizamo could receive Best Supporting Actor nominations.