14 November 2023 , 16:42
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Friends star Matt LeBlanc has broken his silence on Matthew Perry's sudden death with a touching and funny tribute.
The Chandler Bing actor, 54, was found dead in his Los Angeles home after reportedly drowning in his hot tub. Law enforcement sources said that no drugs were discovered at the scene and there is no indication of foul play
Matthew, who played Chandler on NBC sitcom Friends, was at the helm of the role for the full 10 seasons which aired from 1994 until 2004. He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc.
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Matt Le Blanc shared a number of throwback snaps of the pair (mleblanc/Instagram)
One image saw the cast mates embrace (mleblanc/Instagram)And now Matt, who played the role of Joey Tribbiani in the hit sitcom, has broken his silence on his friend and co-star's sudden passing in a touching social media post.
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Taking to Instagram over two weeks after the sad news, Matt wrote: "Matthew. It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life.
"It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend. I will always smile when I think of you and I’ll never forget you. Never. Spread your wings and fly brother you’re finally free. Much love. And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me."
Fans were quick to comment on the tribute (mleblanc/Instagram)He shared the words along with a number of throwback images of the pair from their time together on the iconic show. The first upload saw a funny sketch as they awaited anxiously for a possible intruder in their apartment. Matt's character stood with a frying pan, while Matthew's held washing up liquid.
Other images showed the pair hugging on set, while the final shot in the reel showcased a touching moment when all the main cast members embraced.
Matthew was found dead in his hot tub on October 28 by emergency responders. Law enforcement says 911 dispatched responders at around 4pm PST due to a report of cardiac arrest. Arriving on the scene, the responders carried out water rescue protocol when they saw that the actor had seemingly drowned.
The final image shared by Matt had the main cast members hugging (mleblanc/Instagram)At the time, it was reported that there were no drugs on the scene and cops did not suspect any foul play.
In the years prior to his death, Matthew was vocal about his struggles with opioid addiction. He suffered from an opioid overdose a few years ago that landed him in the hospital. After his colon burst, his loved ones were told he would only have a 2% chance of survival. After pulling through, he went through an extensive recovery process that included surgeries and rehabilitation center visits.
The main cast of Friends joined family at the star's funeral earlier this month and Hank Azaria revealed it was full of "laughing and crying". The actor, who played the first serious love interest of Phoebe Buffay, David the Scientist Guy, in Friends, attended Perry's private funeral alongside his other co-stars.
Speaking shortly after the funeral took place, he said: "I was at the funeral last weekend. You know, sad. He was a hilarious man, so we would sort of [be] alternately laughing and crying remembering him."
The bromance between Joey and Chandler on Friends was a huge part of the show's success (NBCUniversal via Getty Images)In an interview with The Messenger, he added: "We’ve all had people we’ve lost. The world really lost him. In a way, it’s nice to have the world sort of sharing with you." After Perry's death, a charity called the Matthew Perry Foundation was set up to help people struggling with addiction.
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Days after Matthew's death, an autopsy was completed. It noted "toxicology results pending". Following reports that a toxicology screening revealed fentanyl and meth were not found in his system, Dr. Michael Baden, former chief medical examiner of New York City wondered why a cause of death had not yet been released.
Speaking to Fox News at the time, Dr. Baden said: "If Matthew Perry had died of a heart attack, that would be immediately apparent, and they would have said so." He then noted that there must be "some reason they're holding up the rest of it", following the revelation of no fentanyl and meth in his system.
He added that as Matthew was found in a hot tub, it "raises issues immediately about drowning or even heat stroke" and said it is also "certainly possible that he could have died of natural causes, especially given his history of surgeries and medical emergencies".