Matthew McConaughey Reveals Important Lesson He Learned From His Father

Actor Matthew McConaughey recently shared one of the most important lessons from his father. The actor featured on the first episode of Amanda de Cadenet’s latest podcast, “The Conversation: About the Men,” and spoke about his sexual abuse experience and his lessons about consent from his Dad.

McConaughey spoke to De Cadenet about how his father’s lessons taught him the right way to handle sexual situations with women. The actor had earlier written about his sexual abuse experience in his 2020 memoir titled “Greenlights.”

De Cadenet recently shared the story of a life-saving abortion she had in 2003, in light of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn abortion rights in the U.S. The author also said that she created the podcast to discuss the difficult conversations men don’t usually have. 

Read on to find out more.

During McConaughey’s interview on De Cadenet’s podcast, the 52-year-old actor spoke about his sexual abuse experience as a teenager and shared his father’s consent lessons that taught him how to handle sexual situations as he grew into an adult.

In a clip of the podcast’s premiere episode, which People shared, McConaughey revealed his Dad’s lessons. He said, “My father is talking to me as his son, as a male in this situation and speaking to me about a heterosexual relationship.”

The “Interstellar” star shared that his father warned him always to get full consent from his sexual partners and to ensure the consent is continuous throughout. He also warned him to monitor when a woman is hesitant and what to do during such situations.

McConaughey shared, per People, that his father told him, “If you ever feel the girl the female hesitate, stop.” When De Cadenet expressed surprise that his father talked to him about consent, McConaughey explained that the conversation went much further.

The “The Gentlemen” actor said, “He even said this: ‘You may even feel them hesitate and then after you stop, then they go, ‘Oh no, no, c’mon,’ Don’t. Wait until next time.” McConaughey then said that life had taught him that his father was right.

McConaughey explained that he’d been in sexual situations where he wasn’t comfortable and said, “Nah nah nah, okay, I’m out. Okay, cool, I’m out.” He shared that sometimes the partner tries to keep going, and in such a situation, he says, “Trust you’ll have another day if it’s to be.”

De Cadenet was one of many female celebrities who spoke out against the Supreme court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. She spoke about how abortions can be life-saving and shared her own story of an abortion that saved her life in 2003. The photographer made an Instagram post of a photo of herself in the hospital at the time.

The caption read, “This is me in the ER room in 2003. I was 6 weeks pregnant and hemorrhaged so badly on a flight I had to be taken off the plane in a wheelchair. I went straight to the hospital, where I was given an ultrasound and told I had an ‘incomplete miscarriage. The treatment for a miscarriage that your body won’t release is classified as an abortion if there is a heartbeat or a D&C if there isn’t.”

She continued, “I’m so grateful the E.R team along with myself and then boyfriend (now my husband) could immediately make the choice that prioritised my safety without having to consider if the procedure was illegal, and if the Dr would be prosecuted for making sure I was safe.”

In a press statement about her new podcast, De Cadenet explained that she hopes to use the new podcast series to have those difficult conversations with men that are important. She wants to talk about “consent, parenting, race, cancel culture, Roe v Wade, and toxic masculinity.”

De Cadenet said, “Men have undeniably had a massive cultural reckoning over the last few years. The existing concepts of masculinity have been shattered and need to be rebuilt. Men’s voices are crucial in the restructuring of modern masculinity.”

Subsequent episodes of the podcast will feature appearances from Mike Tyson, Charlamagne Tha God, Dr. Terry Real, Kal Penn, Nick Viall, and Zachary Levi. The premiere episode with McConaughey premieres on September 19th.