Matthew McConaughey news
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Matthew McConaughey appeared on ESPN and The Tonight Show in early September 2026.
The Texas alum's football hype and a Woody Harrelson rumor drove the coverage.
Background
Matthew McConaughey is a longtime Texas Longhorns supporter who graduated from the school in 1993 with a film degree. In early September 2026, he made several media appearances: he was spotted at the US Open on Sept. 6, appeared on ESPN's SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt to discuss the Texas-Ohio State football game, and sat down with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show on Sept. 10 to address a conspiracy theory that Woody Harrelson is his half-brother.
How it unfolded
- Sep 6, 2026McConaughey attended Day Eight of the 2026 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY, watching the Round 4 men's singles match between Carlos Alcaraz and Tommy Paul.
- Sep 8, 2026McConaughey appeared on ESPN's SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt to discuss the upcoming Texas-Ohio State football game, saying 'Saturday night, that's going to touch the Richter scale.'
- Sep 9, 2026McConaughey's comments hyping the Texas-Ohio State showdown in Austin were reported, with Texas listed as a 1.5-point favorite according to BetMGM's odds.
- Sep 10, 2026McConaughey appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he addressed a persistent conspiracy theory that his Brothers co-star Woody Harrelson is his real-life half-brother.
Who’s saying what
- Public
- The Woody Harrelson conspiracy theory has persisted, with Fallon pressing McConaughey on where the theory came from and how much truth lies behind it.
Still unverified
The conspiracy theory that Woody Harrelson is Matthew McConaughey's real-life half-brother is unconfirmed; McConaughey addressed it on The Tonight Show but the material does not state whether he confirmed or denied it.