Damon’s Wife Had Brain Surgery One Week Before Oscars — SkimNews
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- Matt Damon disclosed in a new GQ cover story that Luciana suffered a brain aneurysm in early 2024 and underwent brain surgery one week before the 96th Academy Awards.
- Luciana recovered enough to join the Oscars after-party on her first night with her energy back, after the couple skipped the ceremony; she pushed Damon to attend because he had regretted missing The Departed’s Best Picture win.
- The Departed won Best Picture at the Oscars, where Damon and Luciana watched from Miami while he shot second-unit work on The Bourne Ultimatum with their infant; calls from the cast and studio followed.
- Oppenheimer won Best Picture, Best Director for Christopher Nolan, Best Actor for Cillian Murphy and Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr. at the ceremony the couple skipped.
- Matt Damon said he was not nominated for supporting actor for either The Departed or Oppenheimer, adding that the work itself should be the reward and the snubs did not bother him.
- Matt Damon argued movies should be judged 20 or 25 years later, citing Good Will Hunting’s reach among people born after its release and his goal of making more films still around two decades later.
- The Odyssey brings Damon back into awards season; a Best Actor nomination is widely expected, some view him as the frontrunner, and Christopher Nolan and the film are also contenders for Best Director and Best Picture.
Why it matters: Luciana’s recovery recasts the meaning of the Oppenheimer sweep in Damon’s own telling: the 96th Oscars came one week after her brain surgery, so attending the after-party carried personal stakes beyond the night’s Best Picture win. Damon still places longevity—20 or 25 years—above individual trophies.
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