Matt Damon breaks his silence on the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal, confessing that he was aware of Gwyneth Paltrow's experience after being informed by Ben Affleck some years later, but he insists that beyond that he never realised the true extent of his predatory actions.

Matt Damon at 'Suburbicon' premiereMatt Damon at 'Suburbicon' premiere

Just over two weeks since Rose McGowan publicly accused Matt and Ben of being aware of Harvey Weinstein's behaviour and subsequently keeping quiet about it, Matt opens up about precisely what he did know about the disgraced producer. He reveals that it was common knowledge that he was 'intimidating' and 'a bully', but naively thought Gwyneth's situation was adequately dealt with.

'I knew the story about Gwyneth from Ben, because he was with her after Brad [Pitt], so I knew that story but I was working with Gwyneth [and] with Harvey on ['The Talented Mr. Ripley']', he said in an interview with ABC News alongside George Clooney. 'I never talked to Gwyneth about it, Ben told me. But I knew that they had come to whatever agreement or understanding that they had come to, she had handled it.'

Addressing suggestions that 'everyone knew' about Weinstein's misconduct, Matt clarifies that it was more his general character that people knew about. 'Yeah, I knew. I knew he was an a*****e', he said. 'I knew he was a womaniser, I wouldn't want to be married to the guy. It's not my business really. But this level of criminal sexual predation is not something that I ever thought was going on. Absolutely not.'

From his perspective, he saw that Weinstein treated Gwyneth 'incredibly respectfully always', but that reality was far from the real truth. 

'I was expected to keep the secret', Gwyneth told the New York Times, after relating a story about how the producer invited her for a massage in his hotel room when he hired her for 'Emma' at the age of 22. 'He was alternately generous and supportive and championing, and punitive and bullying.'

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She told Brad Pitt, her boyfriend at the time, who went on to confront Weinstein about his inappropriate advances. The producer was furious with her for speaking about the episode which 'petrified' her, and ended up 'screaming' at her down the phone. While he did not fire her over the dispute, this situation was far from 'handled'.