Friends crew breaks silence with touching tribute to Matthew Perry

29 October 2023 , 02:09

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The Friends crew reunited a few years ago for an anniversary special (Image: NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

After Matthew Perry was found dead at age 54, the official Friends team paid tribute to the loss of one of their biggest stars.

The Friends' official Twitter account posted: "We are devastated to learn of Matthew Perry’s passing. He was a true gift to us all. Our heart goes out to his family, loved ones, and all of his fans."

Matthew died after reportedly drowning in a hot tub at his California home. Despite being open about his longtime struggles with addiction, emergency responders said there were no drugs found on the scene. Additionally, they do not suspect any foul play at this time.

During his time on set, Matthew previously revealed how he struggled with opioid addiction which caused him to lose some of his memory surrounding filming. In fact, a few years ago, Matthew experienced a near-death emergency as a result of his colon bursting. It put him into a coma and his family was told he only had a 2% chance of surviving. He told People: "I was put on a thing called an ECMO machine, which does all the breathing for your heart and your lungs. And that's called a Hail Mary. No one survives that."

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Matthew was a much loved actor (Getty Images)

Members of the Friends crew previously sang his praise. Ben Winston, who directed the show, came to his defence when Matthew was receiving hate online. He said: "'I loved working with him. He's a brilliantly funny man and I thought he had some great one-liners in the show. I felt just happy and lucky to be in his presence and directing him on something like this."

The actor was reunited with his Friends co-stars during their special meetup Friends 25th: The One With The Anniversary. During the event, the group reminisced about their time on set and the fan-loved storyline. Matthew, who played Chandler Bing, specifically was adored by fans for his character's cheeky and quirky comedy, adorable romance with Courtney Cox's character, and general wholesome attitude.

Fans are left absolutely crushed following the announcement. One wrote: "Beyond heartbroken!!!!! I was on a tour in the Malibu area and I saw him walking with a friend and waved hello to him. He waved back. So kind. I’ll miss him dearly!"

Having watched the show for years, many fans took his death in a very personal way. They hold his acting and charm dear to their hearts. Another commented: "I’m devastated, he was part of my life, just like the rest of the gang, it’s like if I’m losing a dear friend, may his soul rest in peace, I hope he knew that he made millions of people happy and we will never forget him, RIP man."

Alex West