Highlights
- Fans speculate that Matthew Perry's cryptic Instagram posts before his death were cries for help, highlighting his long battle with addiction.
- Despite fame, Perry was often open about the negative impact it had on his life, including enabling substance abuse and affecting his relationships.
- Perry expressed a willingness to trade his fame and fortune to avoid addiction, recognizing the importance of his role on "Friends" in helping him stay sober during his time on the show.
Matthew Perry
Birthname Matthew Langford Perry Birthdate August 19, 1969 Profession Actor Instagram @mattyperry4Matthew Perry's personal life has been a subject of interest following his death caused by drowning in a hot tub in his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023. Fans are now worried that his last cryptic Instagram posts were him asking for help after his long public battle with addiction.
As a result, some fans might feel bad that people "weren't really looking at" the Friends star at a busy diner, a week before his passing. But based on his interviews, Perry probably didn't mind as he'd always been open about his complex relationship with fame — from how it enabled his substance abuse to how it affected his love life.
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Matthew Perry Went Unnoticed At A Diner Prior To His Death
A day after his death, a source told People that Perry was "nice" to the staff at The Apple Pan where he was dining with a friend, unnoticed. "He was a good guy, very nice," said the witness. "It was a busy day, but people weren't really looking at him." It was the last time he was photographed in public.
In the photos, Perry was seen wearing dark pants and a gray T-shirt, leaving with a beverage in hand alongside a friend who was carrying a takeout bag. The actor's last days have become a factor in identifying his cause of death. Hours leading up to the tragedy, he was reportedly experiencing "unusual fatigue" during a picketball match.
He was in an "upbeat mood" during the game despite feeling that way, days before his death. As its cause remains under investigation, the Friends cast has released a statement, saying: "We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just castmates. 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," signed Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, and Matt LeBlanc.
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Matthew Perry Would Have Dropped Fame To Avoid Addiction
In his 2022 People cover, Perry said that he'd give up fame and fortune to avoid addiction. "The fact that I would trade it all to not have this disease is true," he declared back then, noting that he's still grateful for his Friends popularity. "But I don't belittle how fun the experience has been on Friends. And the money was amazing. Just the creative experience of being on the show probably saved my life."
The show even helped him curb his addiction, although he previously admitted that he was only sober during season 9. "When you're making a million dollars a week, you can't drink the 37th drink," he recalled. "You have to go home and go to sleep.… That was the greatest job in the world."
The interview was done in October 2022, a month before the release of his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. "I wanted to share when I was safe from going into the dark side of everything again," he said of writing his tell-all.
"I had to wait until I was pretty safely sober — and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction — to write it all down," he continued. "And the main thing was, I was pretty certain that it would help people."
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Matthew Perry Feared Women Were Only After His Fame
Perry also told People that he was finally ready to settle down after his long struggle with intimacy issues. "That was me afraid," he said of breaking up with his famous exes including Julia Roberts. "That is what I manifest, something that's wrong with them. And then I break up with them."
He added: "But there can't be something wrong with everyone. I'm the common denominator. I left first because I thought they were going to annihilate me." He went on to say that he was "feeling more confident and I'm not afraid of love anymore, so the next girl I go out with better watch out."
When asked what he was looking for in a partner, he emphasized that she should be "self-supporting. In every way, but monetarily especially because I got burned a few times by women who wanted my money, not really caring about me. A sense of humor, beautiful inside and out, caring. This is really important, somebody who can have a back and forth with me."
On October 30, 2023, a source confirmed to the Daily Mail that the 17 Again actor was "looking for love again. But a string of failed relationships left him feeling sad and depressed, and as if he would never find that love he longed for. Matthew dated dozens of women. But in the end, he always felt they were only interested in his money and his fame. And he was generous to a fault."
The insider also revealed that "he would shower women with gifts only to have them pack up their goodies and walk away. In the end I think his years of fighting demons… Drugs and alcohol… Took a toll on him, and on his health, and eventually he would end up alone again."
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