Matthew Fox: ‘I have never hit a woman before. Never have, never will.’

Over the past two years or so, Matthew Fox went kind of crazy. Not Amanda Bynes crazy, more like… Mini-Mel Gibson crazy. Fox was accused of being a violent, drunken mess in Ohio last year, and a woman claimed that he punched her in the boob, stomach and biscuit. And then just a few months ago, Fox was arrested for a DUI in his home state of Oregon. Well, Fox has done his first major interview since all of the craziness, in the November issue of Men’s Fitness. Fox is promoting Alex Cross, the reboot of the James Patterson franchise with Tyler Perry as Alex Cross and Fox playing the villain. In this interview, Matthew directly addresses the rumors, the DUI arrest, and he sort of discusses the Dominic Monaghan tweet, where Dominic said Fox “beats women regularly”.

Fox doesn’t beat women: “It’s been a long, trying year of sitting on my hands on a lot of negative sh-t said about me, when they’re the furthest things from who I am. That I beat a woman in Cleveland when in fact I was assaulted by a man and did nothing but retaliate against him? In the 46 years I’ve been breathing on this planet, I have never hit a woman before. Never have, never will. But I think there’s still gonna be a lot of people out there who’ll think it’s true no matter what the f—k I say. Out of all the negative sh-t, the only thing that’s true is that I was arrested for a DUI.”

On his DUI: “It was a stupid f—kin’ decision… I got the lowest level of alcohol informational treatment the state of Oregon will allow for first-time offenders, I did my four Sundays of group informational treatment, and who know what? I learned a f—kload from that… I will bet you any amount of money that I will never get behind the wheel of a car after even one drink.”

On Dominic Monaghan saying he beats women: “The rest of it, the Cleveland situation, the [Dominick] Monaghan situation – was a pile of bullsh-t, and I’m not gonna waste too much breath on that.”

His “unbearable” life: “There is so much you don’t have control over. I’m talking all the way from the woman in Cleveland claiming I hit her to the media picking it up and making a story out of it. From waiting in a trailer for four hours when you were ready for the shot three hours before all the way to the woman who is constantly in your face fixing makeup and wardrobe. And that, at times, is almost unbearable for me. Unbearable!”

[From Men’s Fitness, November 2012 print edition]

I believed the story about Matthew being a drunken mess and punching a woman who got in his way. I believed her even if he wasn’t charged with the assault, and I tend to assume that he might have been black-out drunk when he committed the assault, so maybe that’s his “out”. He doesn’t beat women when he’s not sh-tfaced. And if I’m given a choice… I will take Dominic Monaghan’s word over Fox, any day of the week. Is that wrong?

As for the DUI stuff… he makes it sound like a dumb mistake, and I do appreciate that he says he will never get behind the wheel, even if he’s only had one drink. The problem is that I still think the dude has major issues, and only some of them are related to his drinking.

Photos courtesy of Men’s Fitness, WENN.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

79 Responses to “Matthew Fox: ‘I have never hit a woman before. Never have, never will.’”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. Eve says:

    Looks like (post-plastic-surgery) Simon Cowell on the cover.

    And yes, I’ll take Dominic Monaghan’s words over his, too.

    • Amelia says:

      Baha, dropped my toast at the Cowell comment! (I’ve been doing that a lot lately..)
      I really don’t know a great deal about Fox and I haven’t the slightest clue who Dominic Monaghan is, so I’m not going to comment on whatever’s gone on.
      What I will say is that I saw a trailer for Alex Cross in the cinema the other day and although I don’t like Patterson’s books, I think I’ll go see it. I saw Tyler Perry and Oscar Pistorius on Jay Leno the other night during my layover, and he seems quite funny.
      I’m rambling. Happy Monday everyone 🙂

      • Eve says:

        They (Fox and Monaghan) worked together for a long time, in what is Fox’s biggest hit to date: “Lost”.

        I think Monaghan has dealt with Fox long enough to know what he was talking about (when Fox was accused of hitting a woman, Monaghan tweeted that Fox was a woman beater, that that hadn’t been the first time it happened).

      • AmyLynne says:

        Don’t forget Party of Five!!

  2. Rll says:

    I believe Merry Brandybuck

  3. marie says:

    just because you don’t remember it happening doesn’t mean it didn’t.. I fully believe this guy is a douche that hits women..

    • Tiffany says:

      With the Cleveland situation, it happened right outside of a club with sercurity and video. The police decided that charges weren’t to be pressed because there was nothing to support what the woman was claiming.

      Just because a person says something happened doesn’t mean it did. In this case, that person can also be the bus driver.

    • Ally8 says:

      “I never hit a woman BEFORE” sounds like an inadvertent admission to me, that at least he hit one that time.

      Are we not going to comment about the “unbearable” burden of waiting in a trailer and having his make-up done for more money than hard-working people can hope to earn in years? Try a shift down a mine or a week in a smock at Wal-Mart, you dumb jerk.

  4. Jackie O says:

    not a good idea to give an angry interview when you are trying to deny you have anger issues.

    he even looks angry and pissed off on the cover shot.

  5. MollyB says:

    Yeah, Dominic Monaghan seems like a nice, regular guy. I can’t fathom why he would lie, publicly, about something so serious. I believe him.

    • Liza Jane says:

      I think Dominic may have issues with Matt Fox but believe me ,Dominic is quite the one as well and has had his own DUI’s and brawls. Still not cool to call out a fellow actor publicly though!
      Matthew Fox seems to have a short fuse but if he denies hitting that woman then it must have been witnessed and can be proved he didn’t? He is a very prickly actor and not very empathetic!

      • Lindsay says:

        I’ve never really understood why not on serious things, that you KNOW for a fact are true, and are illegal, immoral, and you personally don’t tolerate. It came up because someone asked him a question on Twitter that implied they were friends. It wasn’t something he said in an interview for attention he just didn’t want to be associated with someone who does that.

        Petty things or dropping bombshells to promote movies is one thing distancing yourself from someone you whose actions you don’t agree with is brave.

      • Lindsay says:

        Plus Dominic never had a DUI, he was stopped for speeding
        http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Traffic_violations

  6. fluffyrabbit says:

    Bah Mr. Fox. Just because you cannot remember who you hit while in a drunken stupor does not mean it did not happen!

    • the original bellaluna says:

      That right there sums it up perfectly. “Never happened” is NOT the same as “I don’t recall that happening.”

      Even that slight distinction could have made a difference.

  7. TheOriginalKitten says:

    What’s that red spot on his nose? Did he get into another bar fight?

    The issue I have with this is: Why would Dominique make that up? That’s a pretty serious accusation..

    I’m just finding it hard to believe Fox.

  8. Mira says:

    I hate the character Jack Shepard too much to think rationally about Matthew Fox. And yes, I’ll take Dominic Monaghan’s words over his, too.

  9. DreamyK says:

    Team Dominic.

  10. OhDear says:

    It took him how long to respond to those allegations?

    Nope, still believe Monaghan.

  11. Nanz says:

    He comes across as an angry douche nozzle.

  12. JPC says:

    Am I the only person who believes Matthew Fox? I just…like him. Liked him from his Party of Five days. Loved him on Lost. Think he’s crazy hot (especially for 46)!

    • Happy21 says:

      I don’t find him hot (although his bod for Alex Cross is amazing) but I agree with everything else you said. I like him too…just do 🙂

    • the original bellaluna says:

      I USED to. But I’ve heard/read too much about his antics/attitude, and I really, REALLY don’t like guys who hit women.

    • Kat says:

      Ugh. I actually really like him as an actor and was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt when I read the headline…but the anger is just brimming off the page with this guy. Plus, I couldn’t believe his comments about life being “unbearable” for him. He sounds like a douche.

    • Jo 'Mama' Besser says:

      It’s possible.

    • Rae says:

      I do.

  13. Blue says:

    I get major angry douche vibes from this guy. He just seems so unpleasant, like you can feel his anger through the screen. Smh.

    • Mouse says:

      Yep. I’ve always gotten a big creep vibe from this guy too. The fact that he’s a whiny alcoholic and looks like an ex-con with a horrible rug is only reinforcing this feeling.

    • Jo 'Mama' Besser says:

      He’s continually, um, intense.

      Everything that he says that’s on the record is all about, ‘I’m the last REAL man on the frontier, y’all are brutalizing me, I suffer because I have to suffer you, give me all of your debased sympathy, you rotting piece of meretricious shame. Of course I would *never* hit a woman, I think…because they whine about it like all get out and arrest warrants tamp down your ability to hit the open road in my Chevy. Er, hitting women is wrong is what I’ve been meaning. How much more screaming is it going to take on my part to convince you that I’m tranquil? Oh, and ‘Hawaiian Punch’? Real men drink then drive, not sit around in Dubai guzzling some womanly over-saturated menarche swill. But that’s the state of this wussified world, it doesn’t matter how lightly you slap a woman–theoretically–she’s always going to say it was too hard and the feminine media gets to ovulating and they won’t even give a man a chance. Guilty until proven guiltier? Judging a book by its contents? Why not just sell me into Real Guy white slavery, since we’re the only ones who are allowed to be persecuted, now. All of you preening lilies are going to find your lives to be pretty rough once guys like me stop handing you our spots on the lifeboats and you’ll still find something to fuel your ‘Oppression Of The Day’ calendar. You need us until you don’t want us, well, you’ll see someday how good you had it when the ‘take charge’ leaders and kings among men don’t fix your world and make your lives bearable with the gentle good humour upon which you rely, so yeah, I’m mad. How in blazes have I been compensated for my un-trendy trials and perpetual whipping boy status? When Cicero asked about who benefits, the only thing I can say for certain is that it’s not me. I’m getting fettered and hassled like I’m some kind of ancient Athenian wife, but it makes sense, I guess, because they took a great nation and coloured it pink. That’s not my America!’

      At least he didn’t fall into the obvious and trite ‘Fox hunt’ fox hole.

      Note: Party Of Five was undoubtedly the most maudlin, overwritten, self-satisfied hysterical tripe with dialogue so unnatural you’d think the actors would choke on it like some modern day Vesuvius to come out of the ’90s. I mean, God, Bailey, it was as bad as Thirtysomething, which proves that those same writers learned NOTHING from the creakier aspects of that first show.

  14. guilty pleasures says:

    My on;y comment, since I know none of these people in any way, is that it makes me really scratch my head at actors who bemoan their misfortune at having to wait in their lush trailer, or put up with makeup and hair, at their decrying at the difficulty of their lives.
    SHUT THE F*CK UP!!! You are in a position that most of the Western world would kill for, you have the easiest possible life for the highest reward. If you hate it so much, go pull lumber on a green chain. You CHOSE and FOUGHT for the life, so again, SHUT UP!!!

    • lucy2 says:

      Seriously! I wish someone would pay me a heck of a lot of money to sit around and wait. If it’s so horrible, quit and do another job. He’s been saying he’s giving up acting for a while now, yet continues to work, so obviously he’s able to tolerate it!

    • littlemissnaughty says:

      Right??? That was my first thought. I mean, as if he would admit to beating women/a woman in this interview. None of us can be sure if he did what he’s accused of (although WHY would Monaghan lie about it, he has nothing to gain) but the fact that he’s a d-bag? Yeah, that woe-is-me-comment about his UNBEARABLE life and job, having to sit around for a lot of money? Ugh. Sealed it for me. That is worse than celebrities whining about the loss of privacy while hiding their cell phone so nobody will see that they have the paps on speed dial (please don’t come after me for that comment, a lot of them do it).

    • the original bellaluna says:

      Ah, yes! PLEASE, someone put me in a plush trailer on-set (with central heat and A/C, I’m sure – wouldn’t want our “stah” to melt!), with amazing craft services/caterers and personal assistants to cater to my every whim, and people who cowtow to my ego at every turn. Plus all those other lovelies who will polish, massage, gloss, and buff me to a glorious shine. All while paying me OBSCENE amounts of money to sit there and take it.

      How. F*cking. HARD. For you.

    • Jen34 says:

      He needs to STFU. about the difficulties of being an employed, over paid actor.

    • Str8Shooter says:

      I couldn’t f–king STAND this guy before when he was on Lost, I loathed hearing he beats women (yes, I believe Monaghan…if it was really untrue, Fox would have denied it long ago or even taken legal action) but after reading this interview about how UNBEARABLE it is to sit in a lush trailer and be pampered and get paid sh-tloads of money to do it…well, now I pretty much DESPISE this douche nozzle!

      Try getting a real job like the rest of us, you ungrateful d-ckhead!

  15. Gine says:

    Yeah, right. I don’t believe this jackass for a second. And the way he presents himself certainly isn’t helping the situation. Yeah, I feel so bad for you for having to WAIT in a TRAILER! The horror! Ugh.

  16. Silver says:

    Wow!!! for fortysix(46) he looks great

    • Hakura says:

      If I’m putting my contempt for this a–hat aside… Yes. That was my first thought after reading him mentioning his age. He does look good for his age.

      Hard to believe, what with his unbearable life, & all.

      • Jo 'Mama' Besser says:

        Seriously. He’s not exactly battle-hardened, is he? Oh, chou-chou, tell it to the Alpha Hydroxy Fairy.

  17. Chatcat says:

    All right, I am going to go against the flow here and take this position.

    I don’t hold Dominic’s statement as credible because at the time he first mentions that he knows Fox and “He beats women. Not isolated incidents. Often.” was in a Twitter chat when he was promoting his documentary, Wild Things. And one of those tweets was this response “An accusation is when you ‘claim’ someone did something wrong. I know. But hey little fan girl maybe want to get slapped!” Sorry, a man who doesn’t want to associate with a woman beater as Monaghan claims, does not then refer to “a little fan girl” wanting to get slapped. Right there my radar goes off saying ‘Dominic has a vendetta against Fox and is using his promotion to get attention.’

    I do believe some type of altercation happened with the female bus driver in Cleveland, that he was flat out shitfaced drunk/stoned and he can’t deny the DUI. If he had hit her like the story claims then he should be prosecuted to the hilt by the laws in OH for assault and battery. That kind of assault would have left bruising on her breasts, stomach and crotch. She said that she hit and broke her hand when she punched him in the face defending herself. The DA have will have taken all the physical evidence from them both, eyewitness accounts and photographs. When he is brought to trial then we can all judge him for the deed and any other incidents that come to light by other victims and their stories. But if he were a habitual woman beater as his long “lost” buddy Dom insinuated, then why is it that there haven’t been any other victims, witness, friends, enemies to back Dom’s knowledge of Fox? Nothing before Monaghan’s tweets indicated the man was a women beater.

    • TheOriginalKitten says:

      Hi Chat! 🙂

      Actually, just to be fair, this was Dominic’s entire tweet:

      “An accusation is when you’claim’ someone did something wrong.i know.but hey little fan girl maybe want to get slapped around by him? Daddy issues? Blinded by the nice haircut? It’s never okay. Maybe you have lower standards.”

      Fox just strikes me as a violent drunk with an alcohol problem. Merely the fact that he got a DUI-UGH. Doesn’t make him appear like he’s someone that cares much about the safety of others, that’s for sure.

      • Chatcat says:

        Kitten. Yes, I think he has substance abuse issues that include drunken angry outbursts. I just want more proof then some tweets by some other actor that he is a habitual women abuser. I would want that of any person who is being openly accused of such despicable behavior. When the case goes to court we will all know more.

    • Gine says:

      “But if he were a habitual woman beater as his long “lost” buddy Dom insinuated, then why is it that there haven’t been any other victims, witness, friends, enemies to back Dom’s knowledge of Fox?”

      Uh, maybe because whenever accusations ARE made, people jump to defend the accused and try to blame the victim or rationalize everything away. Do you seriously think it’s hard for a man–especially a wealthy, famous one–to get away with committing domestic violence?

      I do agree that Dom was kind of an asshole himself in that reply, but if he has a “vendetta” against Fox, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was for a good reason. There have been rumors about his drinking and violent behavior since Party of Five.

    • KAI says:

      There will be no trial as, although he was arrested at the scene, no charges were laid.

      The bus driver then filed a law suit and Fox countersued. She then dropped her suit and he did as well.

      Her lawyer claims no money was exchanged.

    • Bluedog says:

      I tend to agree with you. Also, we don’t have enough information to jump to the conclusion that he’s a woman beater. He’s been married to the same woman for 21 years. Abusive men don’t usually have long marriages.

      • TheOriginalKitten says:

        “Abusive men don’t usually have long marriages.”

        Ummmmmm…sorry but yeah they often do.

      • Eve says:

        Thanks, Kitten. I was about to mention that.

      • As a mental health professional who interned in marriage and family counseling, I can tell you that abusive relationships can last quite some time, often decades.

      • the original bellaluna says:

        Sorry, Bluedog, but you’re wrong. I’ve a dear friend whose mother stayed in an abusive marriage for over 40 years, and she is certainly not the exception.

        Having been in an abusive relationship myself for YEARS, I wonder if you’re speaking from experience or shooting from the hip? Because extracting oneself (and one’s children) from one is NOT a simple process.

      • Jo 'Mama' Besser says:

        That’s not really something I’ve observed, but I’d be delighted to hear it if the tide is turning because abused women and families had the supports they need to wrestle themselves out of such a horrific existence and be able to hit the ‘refresh’ button knowing that something better will appear. I know of a woman who left her marriage after several months because her husband began beating her (she was pregnant with twins at the time) and was able to get her life back. But she was born and raised in Ontario, educated, had family, friends, work–a whole infrastructure in place to help her get what she needed. That’s a success story, but she had a lot of amenities that other women don’t. Her existence wasn’t defined by pre- and post-stigma attitudes, her future wasn’t defined by her ‘marriageability’, and though it’s not perfect (marital rape wasn’t declared to be a criminal act until 1982), she didn’t have to live under the presumption that she incurred his wrath and was justly punished and had to suffer being ostracized by a community with nowhere to turn in a society that discriminates against and paralyzes women’s basic rights, confidence, and ability to move on and move up (or the notion that they have rights that are inalienable–even when no one is watching, irrespective of cultural context).

        I once had a neighbour whose marriage didn’t last all that long because she she took her young son, ran away and shamefully, some piece of filth buddy of the husband found out that she had skipped town and moved into an apartment with her mother. She was new to Canada (she was from Vietnam and learning English in night school). He recognized her in passing, gave up her location to this abusive husband, effectively giving the lady’s estranged husband the means to stalk her and he tracked her down and stabbed her to death in front of her mother and little boy.

        Perpetual abusers/bullies are very good at what they do and are extremely successful at covering their own asses, passing the buck, disabling the abused (in every sense) and getting away with it. THAT’s their true calling and until a partner is taken under by the cancerous behaviour and will of the abuse, that partner is a research project. An abuser who takes the long view isn’t going to assault someone on the first date, they plan out that war and know when to strike and where to do it. If you leave, his heart isn’t broken but he can act in a way that suggests it, or prove your ‘smallness’ by moving on to someone ‘better’ within two shakes of a lamb’s tail. Whether the were legal papers involved is immaterial, because the victim is just a means to an end and if one girlfriend or wife gets out, he’s likely already found the next victim. With ‘romantic’ pursuits, it’s just one unbroken relationship with many different names and faces attached who get absorbed into his will, whims and self-centred mission if he doesn’t get help, take responsibility and learn how to be a human who doesn’t have to demand respect because he’s to command it. But if it’s not broke (to them), they’re going to ‘fix’ something that works really damned well for them.

  18. lucy2 says:

    I think Matthew did a great job on Lost, particularly the first and last episodes, but it sounds like he has a lot of issues he needs to work out, starting with the anger and the drinking.

  19. aims says:

    I live in Oregon, not that I have any inside knowledge on Mr.fox. but when his duo happened, we got the dirt before everyone heard. It was reported that he was drunk, then drove to get fast-food. It seems that any issues that happen to him involves booze. He can try to sell himself as, a good Guy. But I feel that he seems to have a problem. I do think he has an anger problem and as we all know combined with booze, and it’s very serious.

  20. Rachel says:

    Geez, if he wanted to be more believable he should have toned down the anger.

    “I don’t hit women, okay? OKAY?!! Print that, godd**mn it! I’m a beacon of calm and peace in this messed up world, YOU GOT THAT?!!”

    At least that’s how it seemed to me…

  21. Amy says:

    Didn’t Matthew Fox get arrested for DUI while he was doing Lost in Hawaii (it might have been some other Lost cast members, but I remember a few of them getting DUIs over there)? The guy has a history with alcohol and he might even be a closet alcoholic. I think the end of Lost might have exacerbated the problem since he was no longer working every day.

    I guess we’ll never really know what happened between him and that bus driver. But I appreciate the fact he seems to realize getting behind the wheel after drinking is never a good idea. Hopefully he learned at least something from all this.

  22. the original bellaluna says:

    Rumors of his assholery have spread far and wide, and I tend to believe Dominic over him any day of the week.

    It’s unfortunate, because I actually used to really like him (Charlie & the earlier seasons of Lost) and thought he was nice to look at.

    Now, I just see douche water. 🙁

  23. J says:

    I believe Monaghan over Fox too, primarily because he’d be in serious legal shit if he had falsely publically claimed that Fox was a woman beater. He could have had the pants sued off of him if it were slander, but clearly since no legal action took place, it’s true. Fox won’t even talk about it much in interviews because Monaghan would probably respond via twitter. All this to say: dudes who beat ladies can s my d.

  24. Chrissy says:

    Seems like he’s had some plastic surgery to me, as he was looking alot more worn. He was heavier too, and losing weight would have made him look less firm in the face, not more so. He looks a bit like Tom Cruise now. Current Tom, that is, as I think he too has had surgeries.

    • Hakura says:

      That’s exactly who I thought of upon seeing the cover. I see a little vintage Tom in there too.

  25. Jen34 says:

    I was an avid LOST fan and believe that drunk, douchebag Jack is totally who Fox really is. He almost always comes off angry in his post LOST interviews. He has a lot of issues, and alcohol is just the tip of the iceberg.

  26. Cathy says:

    I still remember that TMZ story where Monaghan was kicked out of a strip club for groping one of the dancers and banned from coming back. Groping a woman is technically assault.

    Anyway that same night the TMZ cameras showed clear that Monaghan was very drunk. Wonder how he got home that night? Ring Wraith?

    Monaghan had no room to judge his fellow actor. Shame on them both.

  27. MG says:

    He always seemed like a nice guy to me…I guess it was his Party of Five character that made me think that. Who knows about how this guy really is…maybe time will tell.

  28. Hakura says:

    I hate issues like these. I don’t care for the guy to begin with, but to hear the whole ‘beating’ story… Makes me want nothing to do with him, because the mere thought of supporting some violent misogynistic d-ckhead is ‘unbearable‘.

    & his ungrateful bitch-fest at the end did nothing to endear him.

  29. Sugar says:

    the fox family lives in my town & they for the most part seem like any normal uber rich family. The wife seems nice I hope she isn’t abused. our community is too small for a high profile neighbor like him to pull that kind of crap on his wife. but maybe that just my Pollyanna rose colored view.

  30. Ella says:

    I’m inclined to believe Dominic Monaghan over Matthew Fox too, but I did think it was a bit underhanded to announce it to the world in a tweet. For the sake of his wife and children, I hope it’s not true.

    • Cathy says:

      You have a point. If you know a man is beating a woman, don’t you report it to the police? Isn’t that your moral obligation?

      The fact that he did what he did in a tweet suggests to me he (Monaghan) was intentionally trying to stir up controversy in order to get publicity.

      And look, it worked! Not only did he get publicity a few months ago, he’s getting more publicity now. All for free!

      And as I said in my prior post, it’s not like Monaghan respects women to any great degree either.

  31. Cel says:

    After this quote “to the woman who is constantly in your face fixing makeup and wardrobe” I just think he’s an over-indulged sexist pig with anger issues.

  32. Anoni Mus says:

    I’m pretty gaga for this guy, so reading these stories is no picnic. I truly hope that he’s telling the truth, there are just too many rumors floating about. 🙁

    I wish I could read the whole article to learn other stuff than just the negative. For example, I’m quite impressed at how he transformed himself for the (admittedly dark and violent) next role. Just like the other Matthew…McConaughey, he lost 30 to 40 pounds.

    Anyway, I think he probably has issues and he comes accross terribly in interviews, but I think he’s a very underrated actor. And hot. Soooooo hot. *sigh*. I’ll go stand in my corner.