Minnie Driver Shares the Advice She Would Give Her 25-Year-Old Self Following the ‘Heartbreak’ with Matt Damon
During an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show on Thursday, Minnie Driver, aged 54, opened up about the aftermath of her breakup with Matt Damon, aged 53, in 1998.
The host, Jennifer Hudson, aged 42, mentioned the attention Driver received after she commented on her somber expression in a throwback clip of Damon and Ben Affleck winning the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Good Will Hunting in 1998, shared by the Instagram account Movie Shmood.
Reflecting on that time, Driver expressed what she would tell her younger self at 25: “I wish I could have told her, ‘Honey it’s cool, you can celebrate and life’s gonna be great and beautiful and hard and amazing.’ ‘You’re going to love again, it’ll be fine.’”
The video clip, posted in October, showed the then-25-year-old actress looking upset during Damon and Affleck’s acceptance speech. Driver acknowledged her emotional state in the comments, revealing that Damon had ended their relationship shortly before and was attending the Oscars with his new girlfriend.
Addressing her expression during the Oscars on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Driver commented, “My little face,” expressing her desire to comfort her younger self. She explained the pain of experiencing heartbreak in the public eye, especially during such a significant moment.
Driver elaborated on the context of her emotional reaction, recounting the breakup and the subsequent nominations. Despite being nominated for Best Supporting Actress, she found herself heartbroken as Damon attended the event with someone new.
Reflecting on her comment on the Instagram post, Driver clarified that she had not previously seen the clip of her reaction. She described the moment as capturing the raw emotions of a young woman on the brink of tears.
Driver and Damon had met during the filming of Good Will Hunting in 1997 and dated for a year before their split, which occurred just before the awards season.