Matthew McConaughey’s mother had a bizarre request after her husband died of a heart attack while having sex.
McConaughey, who first detailed his father’s death in his 2020 book, “Greenlights,” elaborated on the surrounding circumstances in a recent interview.
Speaking to the Guardian about his new book, “Poems & Prayers,” the actor said his dad, James Donald McConaughey — who struggled with alcoholism — always wanted to die making love to his wife, Mary Kathleen “Kay” McConaughey.
He got his wish in 1992 at the age of 62.
“When I got that call, it was a Monday afternoon, and I was in Austin, and they were in Houston,” the Texas native recalled.
“Mom said: ‘Your dad has moved on,’ but she didn’t tell me on the initial call how. When I got back, she told me.”
Matthew, 55, later learned that “they made love that morning about 6:30 a.m., and as soon as they finished having sex, he had a heart attack.”
Given that, James was naked when paramedics arrived. Matthew remembered them trying to “cover him up” as they “hauled him out on the gurney,” but Kay was having none of it.
“My mom’s in the driveway, and she pulled the sheet off him. … My mom wasn’t into standing on ceremony,” the “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” star shared, adding that his mother exclaimed, “‘That’s Big Jim. He’s gonna go out how he went. 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!’”
James and Kay had a tumultuous relationship. The Guardian described them as “God-fearing parents” who “beat the living crap out of each other.”
They also “married three times” and “divorced twice,” Matthew noted, theorizing that “they just needed some breaks for each other.”
As parents, they ran a tight ship.
“Consequences were a big thing. From my mom and dad, you got expectations. There was fear of disobeying and doing wrong,” the “Dallas Buyers Club” star said, stressing that “respect,” “not talking back” and “making an effort” were requirements.
“You couldn’t say ‘can’t’ or ‘hate,’” he added. “‘Hate’ and ‘can’t’ were like cuss words in our household.”