Jennifer Aniston has revealed she felt like she had been mourning her co-star Matthew Perry “for a long time” before his death due to his struggles with addiction.
In an interview with US Magazine Vanity Fair the Friends actress explained “We did everything we could when we could. 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 died on October 28, 2023, and was found unresponsive in his hot tub at his Los Angeles home.
His autopsy report revealed he died of 'acute effects of ketamine,' while subsequent drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine - used to treat opioid use disorder - were listed as contributing factors
Jasveen Sangha, the 'Ketamine Queen' who sold Perry the dose that killed him, has pled not guilty and her federal trial is scheduled to begin September 23 in Los Angeles.
At the time of his death, Aniston, along with Friends co-stars David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matt Le Blanc and Courteney Cox shared a joint statement saying: "We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.
“In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
The famed actor earned an eye-popping $24M to portray Chandler Bing between 2002-2003 on the NBC sitcom, which ran for 10 seasons spanning 1994-2004.
Perry himself detailed his decades-long struggle with drugs and alcohol in his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. Most notably, he revealed that Aniston “was the one who reached out the most” amid his road to sobriety, and that she confronted him about his pattern with drinking.
In the book he also admitted to having a crush on his co star “I was immediately taken by her (how could I not be?) and liked her. And I got the sense she was intrigued too — maybe it was going to be something.” However, the actress gently turned him down after he was a bit overzealous calling her after he booked two gigs in one day.
Perry’s feelings did eventually wear off, as he joked that it was mainly because of Aniston’s “deafening lack of interest” but the pair instead grew an unbreakable bond.
