Matthew McConaughey’s mum’s brutal test for his girlfriend

Matthew McConaughey is now happily married to his wife, Camila, but when they first started dating the Brazilian model was forced to endure her mother-in-laws’ tests.

Matthew McConaughey with his mother, Mary Kathlene, and wife Camila Alves at the 2014 Oscars. Picture: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Matthew McConaughey’s mother, Mary McCabe, put his now-wife to the test with some mind games to see if she was The One for him.

While their relationship was still new, the Hollywood actor’s mother seemingly tested out the family’s “sense of humour” out on the then-new addition to the family.

It turns out McCabe would regularly refer to Brazilian model Camila by the name of her son’s ex-girlfriend to test her reaction.

Matthew McConaughey’s mother Mary put Camila Alves through the ringer before she was accepted into the family. Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images.

However, McConaughey, who previously quit acting for a year years, defended his mum’s jokey remarks, saying that she was just being a good parent and “testing” his now-wife to make sure she was good for him.

“My family – and part of Camila and I as well – we cherish the value of a sense of humour and comedy,” McConaughey said during Jana Kramer’s Whine Down podcast.

“Some people were like, ‘Oh, my gosh,’ but… Camila wasn’t wounded about it,” he insisted. “What tickles us may bruise others.”

“She tested my feelings and tested the woman I had the feelings for,” he said. “Big picture, that’s pretty cool actually.”

McConaughey’s wife recently revealed that things were pretty tense between herself and her mother-in-law while their relationship was in its early stages.

During a trip abroad the pair ended up clashing before McCabe finally relented and accepted her as part of the family.

McConaughey and Alves first began dating in 2006, and have since gone on to have three children together. Picture by Getty.

Recalling the incident, she said: “So I just flipped it on her and brought my spicy Brazilian, Latin side, and I let her have it. So I went back at her, and we had it back and forth, back and forth,” Camila recalled during an episode of Southern Living’s Biscuts & Jam podcast. “And then at the end, she just looked at me and she was like, ‘OK. Now you’re in.’

“All she wanted was for me to fight back. And then from that day on, that night on, we have the most amazing relationship, and I have so much respect for her,” Camila revealed. “She has so much respect for me. I mean, it can get tricky sometimes, you know? But we always end with a good laugh and a joke.”

McConaughey and his wife first began dating in 2006 during a period of his career where he released such flops as Failure to Launch.

They later married in 2012 and now share three children together; Levi, Vida and Livingston.

Originally published as Matthew McConaughey’s mum’s brutal test for his girlfriend