Matt Damon and Luciana Barroso have been inseparable for 23 years, and last winter they celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. During this time, they became parents four times, yet amid family responsibilities, they haven’t lost the emotional warmth that often fades over the years. The secret lies in one simple rule that Matt and Luciana established when they were still young.
“We have dinner together as a family every evening — this rule is non-negotiable, and it’s always been that way,” Matt shared with People magazine.
Damon admits that despite this tradition, he sometimes struggles to truly be present in the moment.
“One of my daughters said, ‘Well, family dinner is nice… But last night we didn’t even talk.’ And we realized, ‘Oh my God, you’re right.’ We sit down to eat, and it’s easy to get caught up in the routine, losing sight of the very reason we started this custom. It’s that family mindfulness we’re all working on,” he explained.
For context, Damon and Barroso met at a bar in Miami in 2003 and got married in December 2005. Their two daughters, 27-year-old Alexia and 20-year-old Isabella, have already left the family home, while the two younger ones — 17-year-old Gia and 15-year-old Stella — still live with them.
“I think we accept this fact and recognize it’s happening. We talk a lot about presence and the importance of living in the moment; since you can’t slow down time, the only way to do it is to truly be here and now, fully immersed in what’s happening,” he said.
He added that he and his wife “try to consciously appreciate what they can hold onto.”
Earlier this year, Damon revealed on The Howard Stern Show on SiriusXM that Barroso initially thought Ben Affleck — his co-star in “Good Will Hunting” — was the “cute one” in that iconic film, and that he attracted her more at first.
“We had been together for a while — probably a few months — when she admitted it… I think I met her best friend from school, and it turned out they had gone to see ‘Good Will Hunting’ together: the friend thought I was cute, but she thought Ben was. So she confessed to me… And I was like, ‘So, you picked the wrong guy?’ She told me this 23 years ago,” the actor recounted.
About the Author
