Jennifer Aniston reflects on Matthew Perry’s addiction battles, tragic death

[ad_1]

Jennifer Aniston, who starred alongside Matthew Perry in Friends from 1994 to 2004, has opened up about watching her former co-star battling his addiction for decades. Reflecting on the actor’s tragic demise, Aniston told Vanity Fair that she had been mourning “for a long time” before his death.

Jennifer Aniston talks about Matthew Perry's drug addiction.(Instagram/friends) — Jennifer Aniston talks about Matthew Perry’s drug addiction.(Instagram/friends)

Perry died at the age of 54 in October 2023 from “acute effects of ketamine.” He had been battling drug addiction for several years, and it is believed to have started when he filmed Friends, The Daily Beast reported.

Jennifer Aniston reflects on Matthew Perry’s addiction

“We did everything we could when we could,” Aniston, 56, told the magazine. Perry himself chronicled his struggle with addiction in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. “But 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,” Aniston added.

The Horrible Bosses star went on to elaborate on her personal feelings about Perry’s death. “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,” she told Vanity Fair. Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry featured in the NBC show along with Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer.

After his death, Aniston wrote on Instagram, “Saying goodbye to Perry has been an insane wave of emotions that I’ve never experienced before.” In an interview with Variety, Aniston earlier revealed that she sent a text to Perry on the day he passed away. She claimed that the late actor was “happy” and “healthy,” and he had even “quit smoking” and was “getting in shape.”

Matthew Perry’s death

At first, Matthew Perry’s death was ruled an accident, and an initial investigation into the matter was shut down in January last year. But it was reopened later on, and since then, five people have been charged with his death.

Also read: Doctor pleads guilty to selling Matthew Perry ketamine in weeks before ‘Friends’ star’s death

A few months after his demise, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office released a toxicology report that listed drowning, coronary artery disease, as well as buprenorphine effects as the contributing factors.

Earlier, Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy to distribute ketamine, causing death. Also, the late actor’s acquaintance, Erik Fleming, pleaded guilty to conspiracy for distributing ketamine along with the distribution of ketamine resulting in death, US magazine reported.

Also, Dr Mark Chavez pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute ketamine. Meanwhile, Jasveen Sangha, popular as ‘Ketamine Queen’, and Dr Salvador Plasencia pleaded not guilty in the matter.