Jennifer Aniston hit headlines on Tuesday morning when she revealed that she had been “mourning” her ‘Friends’ co-star, Matthew Perry, years before his death in October 2023. In her latest interview, the actress revealed that it was Perry’s long battle with addiction that made her and fellow cast members Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer weary.
What Jen Said
Opening up to Vanity Fair, about Perry’s tragic demise, she shared that she and fellow ‘Friends’ stars made repeated efforts to help him over the years. “We did everything we could when we could,” Aniston said. “But it almost felt like we’d been mourning Matthew for a long time because his battle with that disease was a really hard one for him to fight. As hard as it was for all of us and for the fans, there’s a part of me that thinks this is better. I’m glad he’s out of that pain.”
Matthew Perry’s Death
Matthew died in October 2023 at the age of 54. He was reportedly found dead, drowned in his pool after succumbing to the acute effects of the anaesthetic ketamine, which coroner findings stated was the primary cause of death, with drowning listed as a contributing factor. The actor was using the drug as treatment for depression.
Perry Thanked Jen For Her Support
In his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, he credited Aniston for helping him in trying to get sober. He specifically expressed his gratitude for her consistent efforts to check on him during his struggles with addiction. He even shared that the actress extended her support even after the show ended.
Aniston’s Tribute To Perry
Following his death, Aniston paid tribute to Perry on Instagram, writing, “Having to say goodbye to our Matty has been an insane wave of emotions that I’ve never experienced before.”She went on to add, “Being able to really SIT in this grief allows you to feel the moments of joy and gratitude for having loved someone that deep… For Matty, he KNEW he loved to make people laugh. If he didn’t hear the ‘laugh’ he thought he was going to die. And boy did he succeed.”
