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Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were in talks to produce a movie based on the 1973 Yankees players’ wife swap controversy. Damon and Affleck were initially tapped to play the two New York Yankees players, Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich. However, they later decided to only produce the film under Pearl Street Films, their earlier production house.
Their plans never took off as they faced resistance from Kekich, who influenced some of his fellow Yankee players to not cooperate with the film. Peterson passed away earlier this April after leading fifty-plus years of happy life with Kekich’s former wife, Susanne.
Matt Damon And Ben Affleck Once Planned To ProduceThe TradeExploring Yankees Wife-Swapping Incident
Matt DamonandBen Affleckwere not fans of the New York Yankees and found no problem in bringing one of the scandals tied to Yankees players onto the screen. In 2015, Damon and Affleck were set to produceThe Trade, which explored the wife-swapping controversy between former Yankees pitchers Mike Kekich and Fritz Peterson.
According toPage Six, Damon and Affleck were hellbent on moving forward with the film despite objections from Kekich. Kekich was reportedly“freaked out”when the news about the film came out. Kekich was not so unnerved when he and Peterson announced to the press that they had traded families back in 1973.
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The swap worked out well for Peterson, who led a happy life with Kekich’s former wife, Susanne, until his death in April 2024. Kekich and Marilyn Peterson’s relationship didn’t last long and Kekich blamed Peterson for their decision. He shared with theNew York Postthat he would“like to kill him.”
Peterson, however, denied that the swap was anything dirty. He toldPalm Beach Postin 2013 that it was a love story between him and Susanne and that he was happy with the life with her. He shared that the swap came as a blessing to him. He shared:
It’s a love story. It wasn’t anything dirty. I could not be happier with anybody in the world. ‘Mama’ and I go out and party every night. We’re still on the honeymoon and it has been a real blessing.
Kekich led a quiet life in New Mexico after the scandal and did not want the film to dig up his past. He persuaded several Yankees teammates not to cooperate either. His objection seemed to work eventually sinceDamon and Affleckeventually dropped the project.
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Gestures Towards Each Other’s Wives Become Internet Talk
Ben Affleck was recently photographed together with Matt Damon’s wife Luciana Barroso as the two of them headed into a meeting in Los Angeles. According toPage Six, Affleck is seen giving a kiss on Barroso’s forehead. While it was nothing more than a friendly gesture, social media users have made it a topic of discussion.
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The report comes a week after Damon was seen having an intimate conversation withJennifer Lopez. At the Toronto International Film Festival,he held Lopez’s handas they were photographed during their deep conversation (via PEOPLE).
Affleck would like to stay away from the paparazzi, especially after his separation from Lopez. TheGet Rightsinger attended the festival to promoteUnstoppable, a film produced by Affleck and Damon’s Artists Equity.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
