Originally appeared on E! Online
It didn’t take a true detective for Matthew McConaughey to track down the source of these leaks.
During a period of the Interstellar actor’s life in which the press seemed to easily learn the details of his private life, Matthew didn’t have to look far for the culprit: it was his mother Mary Kathlene “Kay” McCabe.
“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,” Matthew explained to People in a joint interview with his mom published Sept. 26. “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. She couldn’t help herself.”
To which Kay, 93, added, “We were on a hiatus,” while Matthew, 55, quipped, “We had some boring conversations on Sunday. I wouldn’t tell you s–t.”
A break which began, the pair explained, when Kay brought a television crew to tour Matthew’s childhood home, a project she confessed she didn’t think he’d “find out” about.
More from E! Online
“I took people through the house and said, ‘Well, this is where Matthew slept,’” she explained. “Someone called him and said, ‘Are you watching what your mama’s doing?’ But I was so proud that I was just telling the world.”
Matthew, however, didn’t quite see it that way. “I call her, she answers the phone,” he recalled. “I go, ‘Mom, what’d you do?’ She says, ‘What?’ I said, ‘Don’t tell me, ‘What?’ 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.’”
Eric Charbonneau/Apple TV+ via Getty Images
But while Kay’s inclination for sharing information put a strain on their mother-son bond, the Dallas Buyers Club actor confirms they’re “closer now,” partly due to how his relationship with his own fame has evolved over time.
“I got stable enough with my own position and fame,” Matthew—dad to son Levi, 17, daughter Vida, 15, and son Livingston, 12, with wife Camila Alves—explained, “that I was like, ‘You know what? My mom can say whatever the hell she wants. Let’s take the lasso off and just go for it, Mom.’”
And go for it they did. “We go to red carpets and she said, ‘Any rules?’” Matthew continued. “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.”
Michael Buckner/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images
For Kay, when it comes to her role as a mom and grandmother, she hopes she’s left behind a legacy that goes beyond being loose-lipped.
“If there’s one thing that I hopefully I passed on to the kids, it’s ‘You are what you think,’” she said. “If you think you’re dumb, you’re dumb. If you think you’re smart, you’re smart. If you think you’re handsome, you’re handsome.”
For a closer look at Matthew’s family tree, read on.
Thrill Rides
The McConaughey crew visited Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles for a rare family outing in June 2025.
Group of Gala-Goers
The Oscar winner, his wife and their three kids coordinated outfits while attending the Mack, Jack & McConaughey Gala together in Austin, Texas in April 2025.
Look Up
Camila and Livingston checked out the solar exclipse in April 2024.
Family First
Levi shared this family photo in honor of his dad’s birthday 54th birthday in 2023, writing on Instagram, “People know Matthew Mcconaughey as an Actor and now a writer, but I know him as my father.”
Baller Lifestyle
Matthew and Livingston met Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green in November 2023.
Paris Fashion Week
This family time at Paris Fashion Week was magnifique!
Braving Waves
“Surf souvenirs,” Matthew captioned this March 2023 pic of son Levi.
Hairy Situation
The Oscar winner gave Livingston a haircut as Levi looked on in February 2023.
Best Uncle
“Uncle @woodyharrelson is questioning if the cake is vegan or not!!!” Camila wrote on Instagram in January 2023 for her and Matthew’s daughter Vida’s 13th birthday. “How does this go people! Time flies… 13! You are my ray of sunshine Vida!!!”
Going Camping
In December 2022, Camila wrote, “We get the trailer they are responsible for the tent… #ontheroad.”
Reading Time
“Kids reading time by the fire!” Camila wrote in December 2022. “Fun book @reesewitherspoon !! Ladies and gentlemen if you don’t have it time to get it! Great gift too!”
The Trio
Matthew McConaughey and wife Camilla Alves McConaughey’s kids Livingston, Vida and Levi pose for a 2022 pic.
The Gang’s All Here
“The man who always makes time for us no matter what, the man who’s always there for us no matter what,” Levi continued in his birthday tribute, and the man that taught me to appreciate the journey and not just the destination.”
He added, “The journeys just getting started…Happy birthday Papai.”
Red Carpet Ready
The whole family was dressed to impress at the 2019 Texas Medal Of Arts Awards in Austin, Texas.
Too Cool
Livingston lived it up in a pair of sunglasses, with mom Camila writing on instagram, “Going thru photos and finding all kinds of photos taken by the kids!”
Play Time
“We know we love them,” Camila jokingly captioned this action shot of her three kids, “and they love us deep down under all…a cupcake, a pie, a card, a phone call.”
Star Power
Matthew and his family attended his Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony in 2014.
Family Night
Matthew brought his family to the 2014 Mack, Jack & McConaughey Gala.
Batter Up
The couple and their kids Levi and Vida caught a baseball game between the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App