ENTERTAINMENTAmy Poehler Recalls Sending a 'Fruit Basket' to 'Bewildered' Matt Damon After Falling Victim to George Clooney's Prank

Amy Poehler and Matt Damon reminisced on a George Clooney prank.
July 15 2026, Published 12:32 p.m. ET
Amy Poehler and Matt Damon reminisced on a prank from George Clooney that left them both totally "bewildered."
Damon sat down with Poehler on the July 7 episode of her "Good Hang" podcast and discussed their mutual distaste for pranks, despite each falling victim to Clooney's love for them.
"I’ve said this to his face, I’m not talking behind his back: I don’t like pranks," Poehler said. "I don’t f--- with pranks. I don’t like it, it makes me stressed."
"I’m not a prank guy either,” Damon agreed. “He loves them enough for all of us.”
Why Did George Clooney Prank Amy Poehler?

George Clooney exacted his revenge after Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted the Golden Globes.
One of Clooney's infamous pranks came after Poehler hosted the 2014 Golden Globes with Tina Fey. Fey and Poehler made a joke at Clooney's expense, referencing his major film that year, Gravity.
"The story of how George Clooney would rather float away into space and die than spend one more minute with a woman his own age," Fey summarized the movie on stage.
While Clooney laughed and played along, he was secretly exacting revenge while the iconic comedy duo turned to fire jokes at Damon, who had recently made the transition from movies to television with his show Behind the Candelabra.

Amy Poehler received a letter signed by Matt Damon after joking about his switch to television.
"We made a joke that now that you were on TV, you’re basically a ‘garbage person’ because you were just there for TV and you weren’t in the movie section anymore,” Poehler recounted to Damon. “And you, of course, laughed and played along with it.”
A few days later, however, Poehler and Fey received a letter that appeared to be signed by Damon, scolding them for their lighthearted joke, saying it "really hurt" his feelings.
The letter, of course, turned out to be Clooney's clever scheme.
“Now, did he tell you he was gonna do it?” Poehler asked.
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'We Think This Is a Prank, But We're Covering Our Bases'

Amy Poehler sent Matt Damon a fruit basket after the joke gone wrong.
“No,” Damon said. “The way I found out —and by the way, the only reason I found out— was because you guys sent me some, like, fruit baskets or something. And I was like, I was so bewildered."
Fey and Poehler each sent Damon huge gifts, though the Saturday Night Live alum admitted she had a strong suspicion that they'd fallen victim to one of Clooney's notorious pranks.
"We were like, we think this is a prank, but we were covering our bases," Poehler explained.

Matt Damon later read the apology letter on David Letterman's show.
Damon revealed on David Letterman’s Late Show more than a decade ago that Poehler and Fey had sent multiple apology letters, though the second wasn't nearly as nice as the first.
“If your note is part of some George Clooney prank, as I very strongly suspect it is, you A-list amateurs are going to have to step it the f--- up,” Damon read on the show.
“We are not some easily confused starlets you’re dealing with here," he continued. "We are grown-a--, professional comedians. Please accept this fruit as a token of our sincerity. Best wishes, Elizabeth Tina Fey, Amy ‘Boston’ Poehler."


