Matthew McConaughey had an 'Eight-Year Hiatus' From His Own Mom, 93, After Discovering She Was 'Leaking Stories' About Him
Matthew McConaughey stopped confiding in his mom for nearly a decade after he found out she was leaking stories about him.
Sept. 29 2025, Published 1:15 p.m. ET
Matthew McConaughey endured a strained relationship with his mom, Kay, for nearly a decade after he discovered she was leaking stories about him.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the Hollywood actor, 55, did not sever ties completely with the 93-year-old, but maintained a guarded approach due to his belief she violated his trust.
What Did Matthew McConaughey Say?
McConaughey stars alongside his mom in his new AppleTV+ thriller, 'The Lost Bus.'
McConaughey explained: "We had about an eight-year period where I had to have short conversations with her on our Sunday phone calls because she was sharing a lot of that information."
The True Detective actor admitted he didn't need to investigate much to suss out where the leaks were coming from.
He said: "I'd tell her something on Sunday between son and mom, and Tuesday I'd read about it in the news or see it in the local paper."
Kay, who plays the mother of McConaughey's character Kevin McKay in his new AppleTV+ thriller The Lost Bus, described the tumultuous time as a "hiatus" between herself and her son.
Matthew McConaughey's Mother Speaks Out
Kay welcomed reporters into her family home to show them where McConaughey 'slept.'
The actor said that the tipping point came after Kay let reporters into his childhood home, and he watched footage of it days later on television.
Kay said: "I took people through the house and said, 'Well, this is where Matthew slept' – someone called him and said, 'Are you watching what your mama's doing?'"
She added: "I was so proud that I was just telling the world."
McConaughey said he was irritated by the breach of privacy displayed by his mother, although she had an amusing comeback when he broached the uncomfortable topic with her.
He explained: "I call her, she answers the phone. I go, 'Mom, what'd you do?' She says, 'What?' I said, 'Don't tell me, 'What?'"
The actor has now managed to rebuilt his trust with Kay.
He added: "I could hear the same show I was watching that she's taking the camera through the house in the background – she goes, 'Oh, that. I didn't think you'd find out.'"
McConaughey said that eventually he reached a point in his career where his relationship with his mother was more important to him than any awkward publicity she might open him up to.
"I got stable enough with my own position and fame that I was like, 'You know what? My mom can say whatever the hell she wants,'" McConaughey said: "Let's take the lasso off and just go for it, Mom."
The Oscar winner said his mother has been more mindful and respectful of his privacy in the ensuing years since their hiatus.
A Mended Relationship
McConaughey now encourages his mom to reveal 'the rauchiest things' about him.
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He explained: "We go to red carpets and she said, 'Any rules?'. I was like, 'No rules at all. Tell all the raunchiest things you want.' And she did, and it was fine."
"It's much more fun now," McConaughey added.
RadarOnline.com revealed last week McConaughey has given fresh insight into what happened when his father died shortly after he had sex with his mom.
The movie star, who first told of his father's 1992 passing in his 2020 memoir Greenlights, claims Kay insisted her husband remained naked when paramedics retrieved his body.
The Hollywood star recently gave fresh insight into his father's bizarre death.
He said: "They hauled him out on the gurney, and they tried to cover him up, and my mom's in the driveway, and she pulled the sheet off him. It was 7.30 am.
"My understanding is that they made love that morning about 6.30 am, and as soon as they finished having sex, he had a heart attack."
McConaughey quoted his mom saying, "That's Big Jim, he's gonna go out how he went in.
"Don't be trying to cover up how he went out. He's in his birthday suit, and he's right there. Don't be covering that man up!"
