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Minnie Driver Reveals Why She Looked Sad When Ben Affleck And Matt Damon Won Their Oscars

Minnie Driver at the 1998 Oscars; Ben Affleck and Matt Damon with their Oscars after winning at the 1998 Academy Awards
Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images, HECTOR MATA/AFP via Getty Images

Driver, who was nominated for an Oscar for 'Good Will Hunting,' couldn't hide her heartbreak at the 1998 ceremony when Matt Damon showed up with his new girlfriend after dumping her just a few weeks prior.

Minnie Driver explained why she looked so glum at the 70th Academy Awards in 1998 after her Good Will Hunting co-stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon won Best Original Screenplay Oscars.

It turned out that Driver, who attended the Oscars as a Best Supporting Actress nominee for Good Will Hunting, was still heartbroken after her romantic fling with Damon had ended a few weeks before the ceremony.


She also said she was "devastated" after seeing Damon show up with a new girlfriend.

In October, the Movie Shmood Instagram page posted throwback footage of Affleck and Damon's 1998 Oscars acceptance speeches.

As they expressed gratitude for winning, the clip panned to the film's director, Gus Van Sant, star Robin Williams, and Driver, who appeared despondent amid the celebratory moment.

You can see Movie Shmood's post, which was shared by the Comments By Celebs Instagram page.

A screenshot from Movie Shmood's post showed Driver's reaction to seeing her younger self from over two decades ago looking less than enthused at the prestigious Hollywood event.

Her comment read, "My face," followed by four cry-laughing emojis and a red heart.

@movieshmood/Instagram

When a commenter said of Driver, "Minnie looks so sad," the British and American actor replied by explaining Damon had just ended things with her.

But what hurt the most was what she witnessed at the ceremony.

Driver wrote:

"Matt had ended our relationship a few weeks before this, and was at the Oscars with his new gf … I was devastated."

Damon's new girlfriend at the time was reportedly actor Winona Ryder. The two dated for nearly two years before they broke up in 2000, after which Damon swore off dating celebrities for good.

Looking back, Driver, now 53, said:

"Wish I could have celebrated more as it was an amazing moment for all of us, and for this wonderful film!"

@movieshmood/Instagram


Fans weighed in with their observations.

@commentsbycelebs/Instagram

@commentsbycelebs/Instagram

@commentsbycelebs/Instagram

@commentsbycelebs/Instagram

@commentsbycelebs/Instagram

@commentsbycelebs/Instagram


Good Will Hunting is about the titular character, Will Hunting (played by Damon), who is extremely gifted in mathematics but works as a janitor at M.I.T., where he is discovered by a professor (Robin Williams) who seeks to help him find direction in his life.

In the film, Driver played Skylar, based on Damon's real-life ex-girlfriend, medical student Skylar Satenstein.

The film received critical acclaim and earned nine nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, and won two Academy Awards: one for Best Supporting Actor for Williams and another for Best Original Screenplay for Affleck and Damon.

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