Matthew Perry was a famous American actor who was best known for his iconic role of Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Matthew Perry’s character was famous for his sarcastic sense of humour and his incredible charm. However, Matthew Perry’s life had been a struggle against drugs for a long time. He entered numerous rehab centres but couldn’t get rid of his drug addiction for good. He tragically passed away on October 28, 2023, in his home. In this post, we will take a look at his troubled life and tragic death. Let’s get started.

Matthew Perry: From Laughter To Tears

In 2020, fans were finally able to follow the page of their favorite actor on Instagram.  Matthew Perry registered his account on the social network. The page even set a kind of record: literally in the first 24 hours, the number of the star’s followers exceeded the million mark. On it, the actor shared photos from his personal life.

How popular was Matthew Perry?

Millions of TV viewers around the world fell in love with the charismatic blue-eyed and handsome man with an excellent sense of humor, who came up with puns and witticisms on the go. Among them is Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner. In one interview, she said that she tried to flirt with the actor through Twitter (now known as X). In January 2016, she wrote: “I went to the local supermarket every day and saw Matthew Perry smoking. I was hoping that he would notice me and ask me on a date.” 

Who did Matthew Perry date?

Matthew Perry, who was ranked 7th in the top 50 most beautiful people on the planet in a 1999 People magazine poll, and his celebrity colleagues did not ignore him. Rumor has it that the comedian had affairs with Lizzy Caplan, Lauren Graham, and Yasmin Bleeth. But Matthew is a well-known conspirator who knows how to keep his mouth shut. Nosy paparazzi rarely managed to find out at least some details of the star’s personal life.

Many years later, the actor himself said that he had a relationship with Julia Roberts, he even knew her family and spent the New Year holidays with his beloved in 1996. 

In 2015, rumors leaked to the press that Matthew Perry was dating Courteney Cox, who played Monica, Chandler’s lover in Friends. In November, the actress broke up with Irish musician Johnny McDaid and found Matthew’s friendly shoulder and understanding. The tabloids were full of joyful reports that 11 years after the project was closed, Monica and Chandler had teamed up off-screen. But the romance of the two stars turned out to be just rumors. A week later, an official denial followed: Perry and Cox stated that they had friendly relations, and they were not yet ready for new relationships.

In 2019, Matthew Perry was caught by paparazzi with a new girlfriend – the couple was leaving an Italian restaurant. The actor’s chosen one turned out to be Molly Hurwitz, a talent agent and producer. The girl was 22 years younger than Matthew, but this did not stop them from falling in love.

Was Matthew Perry a drug addict?

Matthew Perry suffered from drug addiction for a long time. In 1997, he underwent treatment at a specialized clinic. His weight changed dramatically and even reached a critical point – the actor, who was almost six feet tall, only weighed 66 kg.

In 2001, the actor again entered a rehabilitation center due to depression and addiction to strong painkillers and alcohol. He later admitted that, due to his addiction, he lost his memory – he did not remember three years of filming the series “Friends”. The situation repeated itself in 2015.

Sepsis

However, this was not the end of Matthew Perry’s health problems. In 2018, doctors diagnosed him with acute gastrointestinal perforation. The actor underwent emergency surgery to prevent sepsis. For this reason, Matthew spent the last years of his life with a colostomy bag.

Stroke

Two years later, while visiting a rehabilitation center, the actor, as it became known later, deliberately feigned pain so that doctors would prescribe him strong painkillers. At one point, the star’s heart could not stand it – the stop lasted 5 minutes, and the doctors, performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, broke 8 of his ribs.

According to Perry, his addiction cost him a tidy sum – $9 million. According to the celebrity’s calculations, he underwent 14 operations on his stomach. He was in rehabilitation centers 15 times. Matthew did not shy away from visiting Alcoholics Anonymous groups, having attended such meetings more than 6 thousand times.

Although fans knew about the star’s problems, his autobiographical book “Friends, Lovers and the Big Bad”, published in 2022, created a sensation. In it, Matthew described in detail his history of struggle with alcoholism and addiction to serious drugs, which lasted for many years.

Fans learned from the memoirs that the celebrity had to endure many operations, coma, and clinical death. Doctors said there was a 2% chance of recovery, and fortunately, Perry managed to survive.

How did Matthew Perry die?

On October 28, 2023, Matthew Perry died at his home in Los Angeles. The shocking news was confirmed by the star’s entourage. Perry’s cause of death was drowning; Matthew drowned in his jacuzzi due to a heart attack.

According to Perry’s assistant, the actor played pickleball for a couple of hours before sending him on an errand. The assistant could not contact Perry for some time and called rescuers, who found the artist’s body in the jacuzzi without signs of life.

Inconsolable fans noted that the actor posted his last photo on social networks from this ill-fated jacuzzi five days before the tragedy.

The mysterious death of the star of the series “Friends” has become the reason for numerous speculations and rumors. There have been suggestions that Matthew Perry is not truly done with his addictions to illegal substances. 

Former New York Chief Medical Examiner Michael Baden spoke out about the Perry tragedy. The expert reviewed the scene description and concluded: “Based on the information released to date, it appears that Perry died of natural causes, especially given his history of surgery and medical emergencies and the fact that he was found in a hot tub immediately raises questions about drowning or even heat stroke.”

It is known that drug use wears out the body. Perry had recently been a fanatical sports fanatic – and on that fateful day, he was also playing pickleball – a mixture of tennis, ping-pong and badminton. The actor felt bad while still on the court, so he left early. And then his assistant, who completed the assignment and returned to the boss, discovered the body in his mansion. It was in a Jacuzzi with hot water. 

What did Matthew Perry’s Friends co-stars say about his death?

Many people lashed out at Matthew Perry’s co-stars on the TV series “Friends”. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer remained silent for two days, but finally spoke out in a joint statement regarding this sudden death. This is the joint statement released by the cast of Friends. “We are all absolutely devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just actors. We are family. We have so much to say, but right now we need a moment to mourn and process this unfathomable loss. We will say more over time when we can. At this time, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends and everyone who loved him around the world.” the statement said.