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Jennifer Aniston reveals how she tried to help Matthew Perry during his addiction struggle; ‘Felt like mourning’
Jennifer Aniston expressed her grief over Perry's struggles with addiction, stating she felt they had been mourning him for a long time
Jennifer Aniston revealed that she grieved for her Friends fellow actor Matthew Perry for a “long time” prior to his death in 2023 from a drug overdose.
The 56-year-old Aniston costarred with Perry as Chandler Bing in the popular comedy series from September 1994 to May 2004. After Friends ended, they stayed close for years.
Jennifer Aniston shares details about Matthew Perry's battle against addiction
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Aniston described her efforts to support Perry throughout his battle with addiction, saying “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," the actress continued.
Explaining the difficult time and grief in wake of his demise, she described the situation “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.”
Five persons, including two doctors and a dealer known as the "ketamine queen", were charged in connection with Perry's overdose following an inquiry into his death.
When Perry opened up about his addiction
Perry talked candidly about his three-decade battle with addiction, which led to 15 visits to rehab during his lifetime and several near-death situations.
In his moving 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry wrote that Friends viewers will be able to determine whether he was using drugs or alcohol “from season to season” by “gauging” his weight and monitoring his facial hair during the show.
“When I’m carrying weight, it’s alcohol; when I’m skinny, it’s pills; when I have a goatee, it’s a lot of pills,” he stated.
Friends cast issues statement
After Perry’s passing, Friends lead cast members issued a joint statement to to People, stressing that they are “utterly devastated”.
“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.”
