Kent Damon, the father of Matt Damon, passed away on Dec. 14 after years of battling Multiple Myeloma. He was 74-years-old.
Kent Damon, the beloved father of Matt Damon, 45, passed away on Dec. 14, Matt’s publicist told The Boston Globe. The former stockbroker’s passing came after a lengthy battle with multiple myeloma, a form of plasma cell cancer that affects a person’s bone marrow. Kent was first diagnosed with the disease in 2010, and his condition had worsened in recent months. Matt even spoke about his father’s health while promoting his latest film, Downsizing, telling Extra that the latest prognosis was not good.
“It’s been a slow unfolding; my dad’s sick, so that’s a process we’re going through,” the actor said. “We’ll take any prayers you got, so throw ‘em up there.” Even before then, Matt knew that the end was coming. He took a break from various public appearances over the past few months, according to Entertainment Weekly, to remain in his native Boston. Matt even skipped out of attending the Britannia Awards in England, where he was honored with the Stanley Kubrick Award for Excellence in Film. Clearly, family was more important to The Martian star.
Matt has helped raise awareness for the disease, and he has made sure to express gratitude to all those who have helped him and Kent throughout the years. Matt gave a special message to the doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital in 2011, per PEOPLE, telling the medical professionals, ““My family is so grateful for the care you’ve given us…. It’s deeply humbling to see how many people here are committing their lives to helping others.”
“We’ve lost some close personal friends to cancer in recent years, but I never thought it would happen to my dad, the marathon runner,” Matt added. “It sucked.” Indeed. The shocking losing someone so close is unimaginable. Matt didn’t even disclose his father’s passing while speaking to the press for his new movie, keeping such a painful reality close to his chest.
Our thoughts are with Kent Damon’s family and friends during this heartbreaking time of loss.
