Matt LeBlanc has broken his silence on the death of his “Friends” costar, Matthew Perry.
Although the cast of the beloved sitcom released a joint statement following the news of Perry’s death, LeBlanc is the first cast member to make an individual statement. He shared a series of photos of himself with Perry from the show and dedicated a moving message to his friend.
“Matthew,” he began. “It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life.”
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Matthew Perry, left, and Matt LeBlanc played best friends and roommates Chandler and Joey on “Friends.” (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc)
He continued, “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.”
LeBlanc concluded his message by joking, “And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me.”
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Perry was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on Oct. 28. The actor was 54.
At the time, authorities confirmed to Fox News Digital that his death was due to an apparent drowning, but an official cause of death has yet to be revealed. An autopsy was completed the day after he died, but the toxicology results are still pending.
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Matthew Perry’s autopsy was completed, but the toxicology results are still pending. (Christopher Polk)
Perry struggled with addiction to alcohol and opiates for most of his life, something he was extremely open about, especially in the years leading up to his death. He had been sober since 2021, and according to reports, no drugs were found at the scene.
Two days after his passing, LeBlanc, along with Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer, released a joint statement to People.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew,” the statement read. “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.”
Matthew Perry was 24 years old when he was cast in “Friends.” (NBC)
The statement 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.”
On Nov. 3, the cast gathered with other friends and family members at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills for a funeral service.
Other actors who appeared on “Friends” have also paid tribute to Perry.
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The cast of “Friends” paid tribute to Matthew Perry in a joint statement. (Jon Ragel/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal)
Maggie Wheeler, who portrayed Janice, the on-again, off-again girlfriend of Perry’s character, reacted to the news on Instagram, writing, “What a loss. The world will miss you Mathew Perry. The joy you brought to so many in your too short lifetime will live on. I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared.”
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“I’m heartbroken about the untimely death of my ‘son’, Matthew Perry,” wrote Morgan Fairchild, who played his mother. “The loss of such a brilliant young actor is a shock. And such a sweet, caring man, too! I’m sending love and condolences to his friends and family, especially his dad, John Bennett Perry, who I worked with on Falcon Crest & Flamingo Rd. Lovely family and such a heavy loss!”
Matthew Perry, whose cause of death is still unknown, spent his final days enjoying time with friends. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for GQ)
James Burrows, who directed several episodes of “Friends,” told “Today” that he had spoken with “the girls” of the cast the day they learned the news, revealing, “They were destroyed. It’s a brother dying.”
“We were so proud of him these last couple of years that he was making a remarkable recovery,” he said.
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“I had to have a couple of days to just let it soak in. He was part of a family and he was the first one to not be part of that family anymore.”
