If you’ve watched late-night TV at any point in the last twenty years, you know the drill. The credits roll, the music kicks up, and Jimmy Kimmel looks into the camera with a straight face and says: "Apologies to Matt Damon, but we ran out of time."
It’s the ultimate Hollywood inside joke. But honestly, it’s gone on so long—nearly two decades—that people genuinely wonder if there’s a real bridge burned somewhere under all that comedy. You see them sniping at each other on the Oscars red carpet or Damon "sneaking" onto the set in a giant trench coat, and it looks just real enough to make you tilt your head.
So, do Matt Damon and Jimmy Kimmel get along?
The short answer? They’re basically best friends. But the "long" answer is way more fun because it involves a gorilla suit, a legendary song by Sarah Silverman, and a very real moment where bread may or may not have saved Matt Damon's life in Kimmel's kitchen.
How a Bad Night in 2005 Created a Monster
Most legendary beefs start over money or a stolen role. This one started because Jimmy Kimmel was having a terrible night at work.
Back in the third season of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the show wasn't exactly the powerhouse it is now. One night in 2005, the guests were—in Kimmel’s own words—pretty bad. He felt like the episode was a total wash. To amuse his producer, who was standing right by the camera, Jimmy decided to ad-lib a line that would make the show seem more important than it was.
"I want to apologize to Matt Damon. We ran out of time," he deadpanned.
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Damon wasn't in the building. He wasn't even booked. He was just the first A-list name that popped into Kimmel's head. The producer doubled over laughing, so Jimmy did it again the next night. And the night after that.
For a year, Matt Damon had no idea why this late-night guy was "bumping" him every single evening. He started getting calls from agents and friends asking, "Hey, what did you do to Jimmy Kimmel?" At that point, they hadn't even met.
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Once Damon realized it was a bit, he didn't just ignore it. He leaned in. Hard.
The feud officially went nuclear in 2008 when Sarah Silverman—who was dating Kimmel at the time—appeared on the show with a "gift" for Jimmy. It was a music video titled "I'm F***ing Matt Damon." It featured Damon and Silverman singing about their supposed affair while Kimmel watched from the desk, looking shell-shocked.
Kimmel’s revenge? A star-studded music video titled "I'm F***ing Ben Affleck," featuring Damon’s actual best friend and half of Hollywood, including Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford.
Since then, the "hate" has manifested in some truly ridiculous ways:
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- The 2013 Hostage Takeover: Damon literally tied Kimmel to a chair and hosted the entire show himself, renaming it Jimmy Kimmel Sucks!
- The Trench Coat Incident: Ben Affleck walked onto the stage looking suspiciously lumpy, only for Kimmel to unbutton his coat and find Matt Damon strapped to Affleck’s chest.
- The 2024 Oscars: Even on Hollywood's biggest night, Kimmel couldn't let it go. He ended the broadcast with a clip of Messi (the dog from Anatomy of a Fall) appearing to urinate on Matt Damon’s Walk of Fame star.
Are They Actually Friends in Real Life?
Yes. In fact, they’re closer than most people realize.
If you want proof that do Matt Damon and Jimmy Kimmel get along, look at the big life moments. In 2013, Matt Damon was a guest at Jimmy’s wedding to Molly McNearney. Later that same year, when Matt and his wife Luciana renewed their vows, Jimmy Kimmel was the one who officiated the ceremony. You don't let a guy you hate marry you twice.
There’s also a deeper level of respect here. During the 2023 writers' strike, Kimmel revealed on the Strike Force Five podcast that Damon and Ben Affleck actually offered to pay his staff’s salaries out of their own pockets for two weeks. Kimmel turned them down, but he called them "good people" for even suggesting it.
The Pork Rib Incident of 2025
Just recently, in August 2025, a wild story surfaced that proves their bond is, quite literally, life-saving. Kimmel shared that Damon came over to his house for dinner and started eating pork ribs so fast he began to choke.
Kimmel didn't just stand there and joke about running out of time. He actually had to help save him. He joked later that he was terrified Damon would die in his kitchen because "I will never be able to explain this as anything other than a murder."
Why the Bit Never Dies
Most comedy sketches have a shelf life of about three weeks. This one is old enough to vote.
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Why? Because both guys are masters of the "straight man" routine. Damon, an Oscar winner, plays the "rejected actor" with such genuine-looking fury that it still fools people. Kimmel plays the "petty host" with a commitment that is borderline psychotic.
They’ve created a shared universe where they are eternal enemies, and fans love being in on the joke. It’s a rare piece of Hollywood performance art that hasn’t lost its edge because they never break character in public. Even on red carpets today, if you ask Damon about Kimmel, he’ll call him a "demon" or a "terrible human being" without cracking a smile.
How to Tell if They're "Feuding" or Just Playing
If you're ever confused by a headline about them, look for these signs:
- Is Ben Affleck involved? If Ben is there playing the "middleman," it’s 100% a comedy bit.
- Is it a major event? They save their best material for the Oscars or milestone episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
- Is it too mean? The insults are always about Damon being "ugly" or "talentless"—things that are so obviously false for a movie star that they become funny.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you want to catch the next chapter of this "feud," keep an eye on these upcoming events:
- The Next Oscars: If Kimmel is hosting, expect at least one jab at Damon’s expense during the monologue.
- Damon's Press Tours: Whenever Matt has a new movie (like the upcoming projects with Ben Affleck's production company, Artists Equity), he almost always finds a way to "sneak" onto Kimmel's set to promote it.
- Game Show Appearances: Damon is reportedly set to appear on Kimmel’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? soon. Expect the questions to be rigged or for Jimmy to "run out of time" just as Matt reaches the million-dollar question.
At the end of the day, the Damon-Kimmel "feud" is the ultimate tribute to a long-standing friendship. They get along better than almost anyone in the industry; they just happen to express that love by publicly humiliating each other for our entertainment.
To stay updated on their latest shenanigans, you can follow the official Jimmy Kimmel Live! YouTube channel, which maintains a "feud" playlist specifically dedicated to their 20-year rivalry.