Nearly two years after Matthew Perry’s passing, Jennifer Aniston is speaking from the heart about losing her longtime friend and “Friends” co-star. Perry died on Oct. 28, 2023, from the acute effects of ketamine, according to an autopsy.
(Photo by Warner Bros. Television/Getty Images)The 54-year-old actor’s death shook fans and his fellow “Friends” cast members, including Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, and Aniston.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)However, Aniston says the grief began long before his sudden passing.
“We’d Been Mourning Matthew for a Long Time”
(MIKE NELSON/AFP via Getty Images)Speaking to Vanity Fair, Aniston said Perry’s years-long battle with addiction deeply affected those closest to him. “It almost felt like we’d been mourning Matthew for a long time because his battle with that disease was a really hard one for him to fight,” she shared.
“We did everything we could when we could,” she added, referring to herself and her fellow castmates. “As hard as it was for all of us and for the fans, there’s a part of me that thinks this is better. I’m glad he’s out of that pain.”
Remembering Their Bond
In her Instagram tribute in November 2023, Aniston described “poring over our texts to one another” in the days after his death. “Having to say goodbye to our Matty has been an insane wave of emotions that I’ve never experienced before,” she wrote.
She posted a screenshot of a message Perry once sent her with a photo of them from the Friends set, writing, “Making you laugh just made my day. It made my day:)” She had replied, “Awww, the first of THOUSANDS of times.”
(Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)“In the last couple weeks, I’ve been poring over our texts… laughing and crying then laughing again. I’ll keep them forever and ever,” Aniston wrote. “Matty, I love you so much and I know you are now completely at peace and out of any pain. I talk to you every day… sometimes I can almost hear you saying ‘could you BE any crazier?’”
A Final Memory of Happiness
(Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for GQ)Aniston has emphasized that Perry was in a good place in the weeks before his death. “He was happy. He was healthy. He had quit smoking. He was getting in shape. He was happy — that’s all I know,” she told Variety.
(Photo by Warner Bros. Television)“I was literally texting with him that morning, funny Matty,” she recalled. “He was not in pain. He wasn’t struggling. He was happy. I want people to know he was really healthy, and getting healthy. He was on a pursuit. He worked so hard.”
The outpouring of love after Perry’s death was deeply moving to Aniston. “I hope he can know that he was loved in a way he never thought he was,” she said.
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Jennifer Aniston Shares Vulnerable Details About Matthew Perry’s Final Years Before His Passing