Matt Damon Apologizes For His Sexual Harassment Remarks One Month Later

Matt Damon recently apologized for his sexual harassment remarks, but it took the actor a month before he did so.

On Tuesday, Damon was asked by “Today” host Kathie Lee what he learned after he faced backlash for his remarks from last month.

“I really wish I’d listened a lot more before I weighed in on this. Ultimately what it is for me is that I don’t want to further anybody’s pain. With anything I do or say, so for that I’m really sorry,” he said.

Damon also said that some of the members of the Time’s Up movement are his friends so he supports and respects them. “I love and respect them and support what they’re doing and want to be a part of that change and want to go along for the ride, but I should get in the back seat and close my mouth for a while,” he said.

In December, Damon was slammed for suggesting that sexual harassment should be viewed differently from sexual assault. While speaking on “Popcorn With Peter Travers” (via E! News), the actor said, “You know, there’s a difference between, you know, patting someone on the butt and rape or child molestation, right? Both of those behaviors need to be confronted and eradicated without question, but they shouldn’t be conflated, right? We are so energized to get retribution.”

Days later, Damon told Business Insider that people should also focus their attention on men and wome who are not sexual predators and have not harmed other people.

“We’re in this watershed moment, and it’s great, but I think one thing that’s not being talked about is there are whole [expletive] of guys – the preponderance of men I’ve worked with – who don’t do this kind of thing and whose lives aren’t going to be affected. If I have to sign a sexual harassment thing, I don’t care, I’ll still sign it. I would have signed it before. I don’t do that and most of the people I know don’t do that,” he said.