Matthew Perry’s Untimely Death Has Left Family and Friends Heartbroken
Matthew Perry, best known for his character Chandler Bing on the 90s sitcom Friends, has passed away. Aged 54 years old, he apparently died in his Los Angeles home by drowning in his jacuzzi.
Law enforcement shared that the actor was found in his Los Angeles home last Saturday after first responders were called in for a cardiac arrest. Sources reveal that the actor was found in a jacuzzi and that there were no signs of drugs at the scene. There were also no indications of foul play.
Matthew played the role of Chandler for ten seasons. While enjoying fame and success, the actor had been open about his battle against drug and alcohol addiction. Hence, it’s a well-known fact that the performer has been trying to overcome addictions that have lasted for decades.
According to the report of The Los Angeles Times, authorities went to Matthew’s home at around 4 PM where they found the actor unresponsive. Given the absence of foul play, detectives are investigating the possibility of a robbery-homicide case.
In an eerie Instagram post that Matthew shared earlier in the week, he uploaded pictures of him lazing around his pool where he captioned the photo with, “Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I’m Mattman.”
Matthew has been candid with the public about his alcohol and drug addiction. He first entered rehab in 1997 for a pain medication addiction after experiencing a jet skiing accident. After his initial stint at rehab, he again submitted himself to a rehab facility in 2001 and 2010.
During an interview in 2016, Matthew admitted that he can’t remember filming three seasons of Friends because he was too preoccupied with his addiction battle. He shared, “I had this odd rule that I would never drink on a set. But I went to work in extreme cases of hangover. It’s so horrible to feel that way and have to work and be funny on top of that.”
It came to a point where the actor was taking 55 Vicodin tablets daily. Weighing only 128 points, he admitted that he didn’t know how to stop his drug dependence.
One of Matthew’s longtime friends who was also in recovery with him shared, “Everyone is in a total state of shock. People are crying on the phone and struggling to accept this news. It’s no secret that he struggled with drugs and alcohol for years, but the last time I spoke to him, which was within the last few weeks, he seemed to be in a good place.”
Matthew is described as upbeat and positive. His friends revealed, “He’d been to rehab 17 times and nearly died from opioid abuse, but he was sincere about taking his life, and his sobriety, one day at a time. It’s such tragic news. Everyone is praying he didn’t relapse. Matt was a genuinely lovely guy. He was always the first to welcome newcomers to the group and would always volunteer to help and be of service.”
In his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir, Matthew shared how he nearly lost his life at the height of his alcohol and drug addiction. The actor also shared that his colon ruptured due to his opioid addiction when he was 49.
After a two-week coma followed by months in the hospital, doctors told him that he only had a 2% chance of survival. He also needed 14 surgeries to address all the abdominal damage that his body sustained.
