Lisa Kudrow said her Friends co-star Matthew Perry 'survived impossible odds'

31 October 2023 , 18:43

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Lisa Kudrow shared her shocked reaction to Matthew Perry's battle with addiction ahead of his death (Image: NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

Lisa Kudrow revealed her Friends co-star and long-time pal Matthew Perry "survived impossible odds" before his tragic death over the weekend.

Well before the devastating news of Matthew's death was announced, the actress wrote about her friendship with Matthew and his serious battle with addiction. In her forward for her co-star's memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing she wrote how she felt and responded to the frequent question: "How's Matthew Perry doing?"

She wrote: "Over the many years since I was first asked, it's been, at different times, the most asked question for me. I understand why so many people asked it: they love Matthew and they want him to be OK," she added: "Me too."

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Lisa admitted that she didn't understand the extent of Matthew's addiction until his memoir was released (WireImage for Lollipop Theater Network)

Lisa explained that throughout the years she "always bristled at that question from the press" because she felt like it wasn't her business to share. She wrote: "I couldn't say what I wanted to say: 'It's his story to tell and I'm not authorized to tell it really, am I?!'"

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She added that she also didn't truly know the answer to that question. She explained that Matthew mostly kept what he was going through a secret and added that it took "some time" for him to feel comfortable enough to reveal what he was going through to her. She said that although she and her fellow Friends co-stars knew he was battling with addiction, they didn't know exactly how to address it or if it was even their place to say something.

Lisa wrote: "Over those years I didn't really try to intervene or confront him, because the little I knew about addiction was that his sobriety was out of my hands." She continued: "And yet, I would have periods of wondering if I was wrong for not doing more, doing something. But I did come to understand that this disease relentlessly fed itself and was determined to keep going."

Lisa confessed that over the years she didn't try to intervene or confront Matthew about his addiction (AFP via Getty Images)

She explained that after the finale of Friends in 2004, she didn't see or speak to Matthew as often as his battle with addiction continued to worsen. Lisa later admitted that reading his memoir was "the first time I'm hearing what living with and surviving his addiction really was."

Lisa wrote that "He has survived impossible odds" and she had "no idea how many times he almost didn’t make it." In his memoir, Matthew revealed the shocking and sad truth of the numerous times he cheated death throughout his drug and alcohol addiction including the alarming point he was hospitalised in a coma for a week and given just a 2% chance of survival.

In a heartfelt conclusion to her forward for the star, Lisa wrote to Matthew: "I'm glad you’re here, Matty. Good for you. I love you."

Caroline Gaspich