All posts tagged: Damon

Ex-NBA player Damon Jones to be first to plead guilty in US gambling case | Basketball News

Ex-NBA player Damon Jones to be first to plead guilty in US gambling case | Basketball News

Published by Sam Flores

Published On 16 Apr 202616 Apr 2026 Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones is expected to become the first person to plead guilty in a gambling sweep that led to the arrests of more than 30 people, including reputed mobsters and other basketball figures. A change-of-plea hearing for Jones is scheduled for April 28 in Brooklyn federal court, according to a court filing Thursday. It was originally set for May 6, but was moved at the request of the parties. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Jones, 49, had previously pleaded not guilty to separate indictments charging him with profiting from rigged poker games and providing sports bettors with non-public information about injuries to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Jones is charged in both cases with wire fraud conspiracy and money-laundering conspiracy. A message seeking comment was left for his lawyer, Kenneth Montgomery. He told a judge at Jones’s arraignments in November that they “may be engaging in plea negotiations”. Jones, a onetime teammate of James, was arrested last October …

Matt Damon turns heads with silver fox look at glamorous Sydney event

Matt Damon turns heads with silver fox look at glamorous Sydney event

Published by Daniella Wilson

Matt Damon looked suave as he arrived at the TAB Golden Slipper event at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney on Sunday, March 22. The star rocked a navy suit, yellow tie and dark sunglasses at the stylish soirée, complete with a neatly groomed salt and pepper beard and gray hair. Matt attended the horse racing event as an Australian Turf Club member to watch his horse, Are You Kidding, take to the course. Unfortunately, the animal had been scratched earlier in the week and could not race as a result, but that didn’t stop the Good Will Hunting star from enjoying his day out alongside his wife, Luciana Barroso. Fans took to social media to share their love for Matt’s salt and pepper hair, with one writing: “This is the best he ever has looked,” while another added: “He’s such a handsome guy,” and a third chimed in: “Soooo handsome! Love the hair and the beard! Sexy silver fox!!” © InstagramMatt looked dapper in a navy suit The father of four is no stranger to rocking …

Graham Norton in awkward exchange with Damon Albarn over chat show ‘snub’

Graham Norton in awkward exchange with Damon Albarn over chat show ‘snub’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter The Graham Norton Show viewers were left squirming after the host struggled to recall a past exchange with Damon Albarn, in which the Blur singer questioned why he hadn’t been invited back on the BBC series. The Blur singer, who was promoting his forthcoming tour with Gorillaz, appeared on the show on Friday (12 February), but asked why it had taken him nine years to return. When Norton welcomed Albarn back, saying “It’s been a minute,” he told the Irish host: “Well, you just haven’t invited me back.” Norton replied: “Well, you’re here now.” The singer then shared an alleged encounter he had with the presenter in a nightclub after recording his last appearance on the show in 2017, in which he asked him directly: “Why am I never on your show?” Norton awkwardly didn’t remember this exchange, asking: “What? I …

Graham Norton in awkward exchange with Damon Albarn over chat show ‘snub’

Graham Norton called out by Damon Albarn in awkward chat show exchange with Gorillaz singer

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter The Graham Norton Show viewers were left squirming after the host struggled to recall a past exchange with Damon Albarn, in which the Blur singer questioned why he hadn’t been invited back on the BBC series. The Blur singer, who was promoting his forthcoming tour with Gorillaz, appeared on the show on Friday (12 February), but asked why it had taken him nine years to return. When Norton welcomed Albarn back, saying “It’s been a minute,” he told the Irish host: “Well, you just haven’t invited me back.” Norton replied: “Well, you’re here now.” The singer then shared an alleged encounter he had with the presenter in a nightclub after recording his last appearance on the show in 2017, in which he asked him directly: “Why am I never on your show?” Norton awkwardly didn’t remember this exchange, asking: “What? I …

Run Away’s Minnie Driver makes fresh comments on Matt Damon ‘heartbreak’

Run Away’s Minnie Driver makes fresh comments on Matt Damon ‘heartbreak’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Minnie Driver has reflected on her “public heartbreak” after splitting from her Good Will Hunting co-star, Matt Damon, in 1998. Joining The Sunday Times for a brand new interview, the actress, who recently appeared in Harlan Coben’s Run Away, recalled what it was like attending the Academy Awards, just weeks after their split. “It was amazing, having this acknowledgement of the work that I had done,” Minnie noted, referencing her Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress that year.  © Bei/ShutterstockMinnie Driver first met Matt Damon on the set of Good Will Hunting “There were these fragmented moments captured by the cameras. Public heartbreak is a very rarefied, weird thing that not many people can understand; amplified by cameras and public attention, it’s pretty brutal,” she added. “But it passes. I wish I could’ve said to myself, ‘It’s all going to be absolutely fine. Don’t worry about this.’”  In a headline-hitting moment, Minnie was filmed looking visibly upset in 1998, when Matt and his long-time pal Ben Affleck took the stage to accept the Oscar for …

The Rip: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck confirm bleak, bizarre rumour about Netflix original movies

The Rip: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck confirm bleak, bizarre rumour about Netflix original movies

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Ever notice that characters in Netflix original movies seem to reiterate the film’s plot over and over again? Or that they always seem to say out loud what they are doing or planning on doing? It turns out it’s intentional – and Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have just confirmed it. For years it has been speculated that Netflix asks its hired screenwriters to cater to “casual viewers”, meaning those who are scrolling on their phones or performing other activities while watching. This, as suggested by journalist Will Tavlin in n+1 in 2025, is exemplified by characters who “announce what they’re doing so that viewers who have this programme on in the background can follow along”. While Netflix has never officially commented on these rumours, the truth may have just been outed by Damon and Affleck, the stars of the new …

Matt Damon Says Netflix Wants Plots Reiterated for Distracted Viewers

Matt Damon Says Netflix Wants Plots Reiterated for Distracted Viewers

Published by Daniella Wilson

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are opening up about the changes Netflix has made to its filmmaking approach. During a Friday appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience to promote their new Netflix film The Rip, which they star in and produce, the duo discussed the differences between watching a movie in theaters versus at home and how phone-distracted viewers are influencing how films are made. “I went to see One Battle After Another on IMAX — there’s nothing like that feeling,” Damon said, recalling a trip he took with his family. “You’re in with you know a bunch of strangers, but people in your community and you’re having this experience together. I always say it’s more like going to church — you show up at an appointed time. It doesn’t wait for you.” Watching at home is a very different experience, Damon said. “You’re watching in a room, the lights are on, other shit’s going on, the kids are running around, the dogs are running around, whatever it is. It’s just a very different level …

Matt Damon raises eyebrows with ‘cancel culture’ prison claim

Matt Damon raises eyebrows with ‘cancel culture’ prison claim

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Matt Damon has suggested that some people who’ve been “cancelled” in the public eye would have preferred prison. The Oscar-winning star of Good Will Hunting was asked about “cancel culture” during an appearance on Joe Rogan’s US podcast to promote his new film. Rogan, who regularly rallies against supposed cancel culture, asked Damon for his thoughts on the matter, while arguing that cancellation means that one infraction is “exaggerated to the fullest extent” and a person is subsequently “cast out of civilisation for life”. Damon seemed responsive to this definition, replying “[and] in perpetuity”. The actor added: “Because I bet some of those people would have preferred to go to jail for 18 months or whatever, and then come out and say, ‘I paid my debt. Like, we’re done. Like, can we be done?’” “The thing about that – getting kind …

The Rip review: Damon and Affleck’s latest cinematic reunion is less than the sum of its parts

The Rip review: Damon and Affleck’s latest cinematic reunion is less than the sum of its parts

Published by Daniella Wilson

A star rating of 3 out of 5. Collaborations between old pals Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are always worth watching, whether they result in classics like Good Will Hunting or could-have-beens like Air. Writer-director Joe Carnahan’s filmography has been similarly hit and miss, with bangers such as The Grey interspersed with clangers like The A-Team. So, a sense of cautious expectation greets this chewy cop thriller, which was “inspired by true events”, but feels very much like a product of the movies. Frankly, with a first act this exciting, who cares? When Miami cop Jackie Velez (Lina Esco) is gunned down in cold blood, it sends shockwaves through her unit, the TNT (Tactical Narcotics Team). New boss – and grieving father – Lieutenant Dane Dumars (Damon) wants the murder solved fast. His right-hand man, Detective Sergeant JD Byrne (Affleck), was Velez’s lover, and keeps her gun as the ultimate tribute. The rest of the team – played by Steven Yeun (TV’s Beef), Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another) and Catalina Sandino Moreno (Ballerina) – …

The Rip review – What were Ben Affleck and Matt Damon thinking with this charmless Netflix dud?

The Rip review – What were Ben Affleck and Matt Damon thinking with this charmless Netflix dud?

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are a real-deal Hollywood fairytale: childhood pals who made it to the Oscars stage (winning Best Original Screenplay together in 1998 for Good Will Hunting), with each becoming a movie star in their own right. Every few years they’ll circle back to one another, co-starring in movies like Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel (2021) or sports biopic Air (2023), and they’ve recently established their own production company, Artists Equity, to ensure their crews can secure a bonus if the project is successful. It’s an endangered tradition in Hollywood production. A “Mattfleck” picture, then, has its own aura: a kind of rumpled decency and a straight-talking, Bostonian charm, best served with a side of Dunkin’ Donuts. Now they’ve reunited for Netflix’s The Rip, which aspires to drum up a confrontation between them worthy of Michael Mann’s Heat …