Jimmy Kimmel’s mock feud with Matt Damon began as a late-night sign-off: Kimmel would apologize that the show had run out of time for Damon. The bit grew into staged interruptions, a music video, a show takeover and public exchanges. It is a friendly running gag, not evidence of a real dispute; People describes the two as good friends.
How the joke began: the “no time for Matt Damon” sign-off
2005: Kimmel chooses an unlikely guest
In 2005, Kimmel began ending episodes by saying the show had run out of time for Matt Damon. He later explained to TIME that Damon was simply the first A-list name that came to mind while he was thinking of someone the show would never actually bump. Repeating the apology turned a throwaway sign-off into the premise of a mock feud.
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How Matt Damon joined the bit
2006: A staged confrontation
The gag moved from the sign-off to a staged appearance in 2006. In TIME’s account, Damon confronted Kimmel on the show and finished with an angry reaction as the credits rolled. People also describes an early guest appearance built around Kimmel cutting Damon off. The joke worked because Damon played along with the fictional slight.
2007: Guillermo interrupts Damon
During promotion for The Bourne Ultimatum in 2007, Kimmel sent his sidekick Guillermo to interrupt Damon, according to TIME. The running gag was no longer confined to Kimmel’s closing line: interruptions themselves became part of its comic format.
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2008: Sarah Silverman and “I’m F-king Matt Damon”
Kimmel’s then-partner Sarah Silverman and Damon made the parody music video “I’m F-king Matt Damon.” TIME identifies the collaboration as a major moment in the bit’s popularity. It shifted the joke into a self-contained musical sketch, with Damon appearing as a willing collaborator rather than merely the target of Kimmel’s sign-off.
The gag expands beyond a single interruption
2013–2014: Damon takes over, then returns
Damon’s stunts eventually turned the usual setup around. ABC’s archive says Damon returned to the show on February 6, 2014, after hijacking it in 2013. People’s retrospective timeline also traces the recurring appearances and the mock feud’s evolving format. The takeover made Damon’s role more active: he could seize the show rather than simply wait to be bumped from it.
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2017: The Oscars exchange
The mock rivalry travelled to the Academy Awards. Speaking with ABC’s Michael Strahan around the 2017 Oscars, Damon joked of Kimmel: “He’s talentless himself, but unfortunately, he’s got an incredible group of writers who work for him.” The insult lands as part of the performance, not as substantiation of a personal quarrel.
2023: Ben Affleck steps in
When Damon and Ben Affleck appeared amid promotion for Air in 2023, Affleck played a would-be peacemaker in the mock feud, as People recounts. The appearance brought a longtime friend and collaborator into the established joke.
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What the latest dated appearances show
2026: Ambushes and an “out” segment
ABC’s program material lists a Damon appearance on June 18, 2026. TheWrap describes that appearance as a Trojan-horse ambush while Damon was promoting The Odyssey. ABC’s September 28, 2026 episode listing includes the segment title “Jimmy Kimmel Throws Matt Damon Out.” These listings document the gag’s continuation through September 2026; they are selected program records, not a complete account of every sketch or appearance in between.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the “feud” is not a real feud
The chronology points to a joke built collaboratively: Kimmel invented the sign-off, Damon began appearing in staged confrontations and interruptions, and the pair kept finding new formats for the same premise. Public banter at the Oscars and later appearances extended the performance beyond the show. People calls them good friends, and nothing in this timeline establishes a genuine personal dispute.
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