Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s studio ‘did not consent’ to speech used in Trump video
By Naomi Clarke, PA Entertainment Reporter
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s production company said it “did not consent” to a monologue from its film Air being used in a new Donald Trump campaign video.
On Saturday, the former US president posted a video featuring clips of him from throughout his life, backdropped to a speech by Damon from the new movie, to his social media platform Truth Social.
Directed by Affleck and starring him and Damon, Air follows the story of the game-changing partnership between a rookie Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division.
The film was produced by Damon and Affleck’s firm Artists Equity, which was formed last year with RedBird Capital.
A statement posted on the company’s Twitter account said: “We had no foreknowledge of, did not consent to and do not endorse or approve any footage or audio from Air being repurposed by the Trump campaign as a political advertisement or for any other use.
“Specifically in terms of any & all rights available to us under US copyright and intellectual property law, we hereby, expressly give notice that in the case of any use of material from Air by the Trump campaign where approval or consent is required, we do not grant such consent.”
We had no foreknowledge of, did not consent to and do not endorse or approve any footage or audio from Air being repurposed by the Trump campaign as a political advertisement or for any other use.
— Artists Equity (@artists_equity) June 10, 2023
Airs also stars Damian Young as Jordan, while Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis plays the athlete’s mother Deloris.
In November, Trump said he was entering the 2024 US presidential race for a second term.
He is currently facing a grand jury investigation, which has led to a criminal indictment and could result in the first criminal prosecution of a former US president.
He remains one of the frontrunners for the 2024 Republican nomination despite his mounting legal woes, which also include criminal charges filed against him in March in New York.
