HOLLYWOOD leading man Matt Damon is not moving to Byron Bay, and he has not purchased a house on the Northern Rivers.

Confirmation came from Beverly Hills, as an email from Jennifer Allen, the actor's Hollywood publicist.

"Thanks for checking. Matt has not bought a home in Australia nor is he moving there. He's just visited a few times recently," said Ms Allen in a statement received by The Northern Star overnight.　

Media outlets in the US went into a frenzy when reports were published that Damon and wife Luciana Barroso had purchased a home in the Northern Rivers, close from their friends, Hollywood actors Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky.

Just about a year ago, Hemsworth and Damon two of the biggest celebrities to visit Bluesfest 2017 (besides Aquaman's star, American leading man Jason Momoa.

Unexpected marketing campaign

The star may not be coming to live here, but thanks to the speculation, hundreds of TV, radio and online stories were broadcast and published mentioning the town, with the most unprecedented and unexpected marketing campaign the Bay has seen in years.

Anyone who follows entertainment new in the US and Europe would have heard the story, which became even more newsworthy when it was commented that Damon may be leaving the US to avoid Donald Trump's presidency, making it a political event also.