‘Friends’ Star Dies After Apparent Drowning – Hollywood Life
Matthew Perry has died. The Friends star was reportedly found dead at his Los Angeles area home on October 28, according to TMZ. Law enforcement sources believe the actor drowned. Matthew was 54 years old. HollywoodLife has reached out to Matthew’s team for comment.
The actor was reportedly found in a jacuzzi at his home, and no drugs were found at the scene. Matthew had spent the morning playing pickleball and sent his assistant out for an errand. When the assistant returned to Matthew’s home about two hours later, that’s when he found the actor unresponsive and called 911.
Matthew became a household name playing Chandler Bing on Friends, the hit NBC comedy series that ran from 1994 to 2004. He rose to fame alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, and Matt LeBlanc. The cast recently came together for a reunion special that aired on Max in 2021.
In addition to Friends, Matthew starred in TV shows like Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Go On, and The Odd Couple. He also appeared in films like Fools Rush In, The Whole Nine Yards, 17 Again, and more.
Matthew opened up about his past health and substance abuse struggles in his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. After being hospitalized at one point, Matthew had just a “2% chance” of survival. “One of the things I have to deal with is that my family rushed to the hospital and were told that I have a 2% chance to make it through the night,” he told Diane Sawyer while promoting his memoir. During his appearance on The View in 2022, Matthew said things were “going great” in his life after a years-long battle with addiction.
Matthew noted that he was now embracing a “winning side” mentality in his recovery journey. “I’ve surrendered, but to the winning side, not the losing,” the actor wrote in his memoir. “I’m no longer mired in an impossible battle with drugs and alcohol.”
The Friends star had never married. He dated actresses like Yasmine Bleeth, Julia Roberts, and Lizzy Caplan. Matthew got engaged to Molly Hurwitz in 2020, but they called off their engagement a year later. He is survived by his parents, John Bennett Perry and Suzanne Perry.
