“I was concerned about him, knowing that he’d been through everything he’d been through,” Marta Kauffman explained.
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In a recent interview with the Today show, Friends creator Marta Kauffman revealed her concerns with Matthew Perry’s journey to sobriety. Her concerns about Perry began while filming the hit sitcom’s 2021 reunion special.
During the interview, Kauffman expressed, “I was concerned about him, knowing that he’d been through everything he’d been through.”
She continued, discussing the actor who died at 54 on October 29, “And every time he had surgery, they’re giving him opioids for pain and the cycle starts over again.”
Perry revealed in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, that he previously struggled with substance abuse. The actor’s opioid overuse caused him to spend two weeks in a coma and five months in the hospital.
As reported by Entertainment Weekly, Kauffman later told Hoda Kotb that when she spoke to Perry two weeks ago, he seemed to be doing well. “He seemed better than I’d seen in a while. I was so thrilled to see that. He was emotionally in a good place,” she said.
‘Friends’ Cast Statement On Matthew Perry’s Death
Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer released a statement about their Friends co-star’s passing, stating they’re, “utterly devastated.”
In a statement to People, the Friends cast wrote, “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”
They continued, “In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”