Jimmy Kimmel has accomplished Hollywood's rarest trick: becoming the guest who never overstays his welcome. From officiating Jennifer Aniston's wedding to orchestrating unforgettable Oscars surprises, Kimmel's inner-circle status is unquestionable. That same closeness even placed Matt Damon in genuine danger once, and no, Kimmel is not talking about The Odyssey.

Matt Damon nearly died at Jimmy Kimmel's dinner table, and the late-night host finally shared the alarming story with Variety. The Oscar winner choked on a pork rib during dinner at Kimmel's home. What began as a casual evening quickly became a desperate race to keep Damon breathing.

"He started choking on a pork rib. It was stuck in his throat for about an hour and a half," Kimmel recalled. The actor arrived hungry and swallowed a pork rib that became lodged in his throat. Multiple Heimlich attempts failed. After nearly ninety minutes, Kimmel, Damon's brother, and an internet search settled on bread, which finally dislodged the obstruction.

Speaking to Variety, Kimmel admitted his greatest fear was not merely losing a friend. He joked that explaining Damon's death inside his home would sound like m*****, no matter the truth. Thankfully, bread saved the Academy Award winner, leaving Kimmel with an unforgettable story instead of a courtroom nightmare.

The unforgettable dinner mishap is merely one chapter in Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon's decades-long friendship.

Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon's close bond

Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon's famous 'feud' has always been rooted in friendship rather than rivalry. The running joke began in 2005 when Jimmy Kimmel repeatedly ended Jimmy Kimmel Live! by claiming he had "run out of time" for Damon. Audiences embraced the bit, and the pair spent the next two decades finding increasingly elaborate ways to keep it alive.

The prank soon became bigger than the late-night monologue. Matt Damon teamed with Sarah Silverman for the viral 'I'm F****** Matt Damon' music video, inspiring Jimmy Kimmel's equally star-studded 'I'm F****** Ben Affleck' response. Damon later hijacked Jimmy Kimmel Live!, renamed it 'Jimmy Kimmel Sucks!', and even smuggled himself onto the set inside a giant Trojan Horse.

Behind every punchline, however, was a genuine friendship. Jimmy Kimmel officiated Matt Damon's vow renewal with Luciana Barroso, while Damon stood by Kimmel during his son's health crisis and later offered to help support the show's staff during the 2023 strikes. That same off-screen bond eventually produced the unforgettable dinner where Damon came frighteningly close to choking to death.

What do you think of Matt Damon's near-death experience in Jimmy Kimmel's house? Let us know in the comments!

Written by

Iffat Siddiqui

Edited by

Adiba Nizami