Matthew McConaughey endured his share of traumatic moments before he became a Hollywood star. And now he’s sharing every last detail!
In his explosive new memoir, Greenlights, the 50-year-old opened up about some of his unsettling experiences with sex early in life, including the time he was “blackmailed” into losing his virginity when he was a teen. The Oscar winner wrote:
“I was blackmailed into having sex for the first time when I was 15. I was certain I was going to hell for the premarital sex. Today, I am merely certain that I hope that’s not the case.”
OMG, what?! Blackmailed?!
What was the story there? Is he waiting for a sequel memoir or something??
The Dallas Buyers Club star revealed another horrific incident from just three years later where he was molested by another man. Explaining that he was “knocked unconscious” by his assailant, the actor wrote:
“[I was] molested by a man when I was 18 while knocked unconscious in the back of a van.”
McConaughey didn’t give more details about either incident, but he made it clear that he’s never felt like a victim, adding:
“I have a lot of proof that the world is conspiring to make me happy.”
Wow, talk about a sunny disposition!
Related: Mariah Carey Artfully Shades Jennifer Lopez AGAIN In ‘All-Important’ Memoir!
On a lighter note, McConaughey also spilled some tea about his showbiz career, revealing that he once turned down a HUGE paycheck in an effort to pivot from romantic comedies into more dramatic acting roles.
Referencing his rom-com heyday in the early 2000s — which included starring roles in The Wedding Planner, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Failure to Launch, and Fool’s Gold — the actor explained:
“The romantic comedies remained my only consistent box office hits, which made them my only consistent incoming offers. For me personally, I enjoyed being able to give people a ninety-minute breezy romantic getaway from the stress of their lives where they didn’t have to think about anything, just watch the boy chase the girl, fall down, then get up and finally get her. I had taken the baton from Hugh Grant, and I ran with it.”
And while he admittedly “enjoyed making romantic comedies, and their paychecks rented the houses on the beach I ran shirtless on,” the star was ready for a change. Matthew explained that in 2010, he was offered a $14.5 million paycheck to star in yet another rom-com — but he turned it down!
He elaborated:
“I declined the offer. If I couldn’t do what I wanted, I wasn’t going to do what I didn’t, no matter the price.”
It turned out to be a great decision: McConaughey took on more dramatic roles through the early 2010’s, like The Lincoln Lawyer, Killer Joe, Mud and, of course, a starring role as AIDS patient Ron Woodroof in the 2013 biographical drama Dallas Buyers Club, which earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor.
Who knew that the first act of McConaughey’s life was just as dramatic as his future films though? We’re glad those early encounters didn’t ruin the guy’s life, because many victims of sexual assault can’t shake it off so willingly!
Are YOU going to read the actor’s memoir, Perezcious readers? (Speaking of memoirs… go to PerezHiltonBook.com to order OUR memoir!)
[Image via Instar/WENN]
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