Matthew Perry sparked concern as warning signs spotted during Friends reunion

06 November 2023 , 09:45

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A Friends co-creator has spoken of her 'concern'

Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman has admitted that she was "concerned" about Matthew Perry during the sitcom's 2021 reunion.

The Chandler Bing actor, 54, was found dead in his Los Angeles home. The beloved American-Canadian star, who is most famed for his role in the US sitcom Friends, was found after he reportedly drowned in his hot tub, with his cause of death still unknown.

Laid to rest on Friday afternoon, Matthew's funeral service, which was held at Forest Lawn memorial park in Los Angeles, was attended by his heartbroken co-stars. And now a co-creator of the hit sitcom has spoken out.

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Marta spoke out on the TODAY show last week (NBC News/Today)

Marta, who co-created the sitcom that started in 1994 starring Matthew, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow and Matt LeBlanc, has spoken of the reunion that was broadcast in 2021.

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Speaking on the TODAY show in America, Marta could be seen chatting to Hoda Kotb Wednesday (November 1). And during her candid chat ahead of the actor's funeral and just days after he died, she noted how she was "concerned" about him during the reunion two years prior.

The cast of Friends reunited in 2021 (HBO)

Speaking to Hoda, she said: "Knowing that he’d been through everything he’d been through, and every time he had surgery, they’re giving him opioids for pain, and the cycle starts over again. So yes, I was concerned about what point in the cycle he was in at that moment."

At the time of the reunion, Matthew had recently undergone emergency dental surgery, hence his slurred speech during the reunion. Addressing it last year, the Chandler Bing actor admitted: "It sounded like my voice was off," before saying he "couldn’t not show up".

Matthew Perry was found dead at his home in LA last weekend (Penske Media via Getty Images)

Matthew was very open about how he struggled with drug and alcohol addiction throughout his life. He was once addicted to Vicodin and in 1997 he completed a 28-day detox programme.

He again entered rehab in February 2001 for addiction to Vicodin, methadone, amphetamines, and alcohol, with him having a total of 15 rehab stints, according to his 2022 memoir.

And last year in a chat with Diane Sawyer, Matt spoke of his "55 Vicodin a day" habit where he said: "I should have been the toast of the town, but I was in a dark room meeting with nothing but drug dealers and completely alone."

Mollie Quirk