Jimmy Kimmel Jokes He's 'Thrilled' Matt Damon Might Not Attend Oscars: 'Hope He Never Gets Nominated Again'

Jimmy Kimmel jokes that Matt Damon is to blame for the infamous 2017 Oscars Best Picture snafu: "I believe that his presence in some way caused the envelope mixup"

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By all accounts, Jimmy Kimmel is known as a charitable guy who wishes all the best for his buddies. Except Matt Damon, that is.

So Kimmel, who will return to host the Oscars for a third time on March 12, is giddy Damon may not be in the audience at this year's awards telecast.

"I'm thrilled that he won't show," Kimmel, 55, playfully tells PEOPLE. "I hope he never gets nominated again."

In fact, Kimmel maintains that Damon, a five-time nominee who took home the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Good Will Hunting in 1997, somehow holds blame for the backstage envelope snafu in 2017 which led to the announcement of the wrong Best Picture winner.

"I believe that his presence in some way caused the envelope mixup," deadpans Kimmel.

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In truth, the veteran host counts Damon, 52, as a close friend, and the two were even side-by-side in orchestra seats when Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway read La La Land instead of Moonlight.

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"Jokes aside, I was sitting next to Matt when that literally unfolded, and he figured out what was going on a couple of seconds before I did," recalls Kimmel of the shocking moment that went down during the star's first host outing. "His version of the story is that I figured it out before he did.… So whatever the case, neither one of us knew what the hell was going on."

The Oscars air live on ABC on Sunday, March 12, at 8 p.m. ET.

For more from Jimmy Kimmel, pick up this week's issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now.