Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey has revealed he was sexually abused as a child in his memoir Greenlights.

The 50-year-old Texan’s memoir tells tales of his life through ‘green’, ‘yellow’ and 'red’ events which stand for moments that led him to either advance, pause or stop.

And McConaughey bravely pulls no punches in describing when he was first abused as a youngster.

“I was blackmailed into having sex for the first time when I was 15,” the memoir states, according to Variety.

"I was certain I was going to hell for the pre-marital sex. Today, I am merely certain that I hope that’s not the case."

Along with that incident, McConaughey also spoke of a time when he was ‘molested by a man when (he) was 18 while knocked unconscious in the back of a van’.

However, he was quick to stress that at no point has he ever felt like a victim as a result of the experience.

"I’ve never felt like a victim. I have a lot of proof that the world is conspiring to make me happy," he added.

McConaughey, who is famous for his roles in True Detective, Dallas Buyers Club, Interstellar and more recently The Gentleman, has been making headlines during the coronavirus pandemic as he bids to help people through a difficult time.

The actor helped deliver 110,000 masks to Texas hospitals and also held a virtual bingo night for seniors who were left isolated during the pandemic.