Jennifer Aniston recently shared her thoughts on the loss of her Friends co-star, Matthew Perry, admitting that the cast had been "mourning" him long before his tragic passing in October 2023.
Perry, who was best known for his portrayal of Chandler Bing on the iconic sitcom, died from the acute effects of ketamine. His struggles with addiction were well-documented throughout his career, as he faced battles with substance abuse while Friends was at the height of its popularity.
In a new Vanity Fair cover story, Aniston explained the emotional toll of Perry’s long-standing battle. "We did everything we could when we could," she recalled.
"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. 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."
Following Perry's passing, Aniston took to social media to express her grief. She shared a heartfelt tribute that included a text message from Perry, in which he had sent a photo of the two laughing together on set. "Making you laugh just made my day. It made my day," Perry had written.
In her emotional message, Aniston reflected on the deep connection she and her co-stars had with Perry, saying, “Having to say goodbye to our Matty has been an insane wave of emotions that I’ve never experienced before. He was such a part of our DNA. We were always the 6 of us.
"This was a chosen family that forever changed the course of who we were and what our path was going to be.”
She continued, "For Matty, he KNEW he loved to make people laugh. As he said himself, if he didn’t hear the ‘laugh’ he thought he was going to die. His life literally depended on it."
Aniston went on to express how much Perry had meant to her, stating, "He made all of us laugh. And laugh hard."
In a later conversation with Variety, Aniston revealed that she had texted Perry on the very day he passed away. She described the moment as bittersweet, saying, “He was happy. He was healthy. He had quit smoking. He was getting in shape. He was happy — that’s all I know… He was not in pain. He wasn’t struggling. He was happy.”
“I want people to know he was really healthy, and getting healthy,” she added. “He was on a pursuit. He worked so hard. He really was dealt a tough one. I miss him dearly. We all do. Boy, he made us laugh really hard.”
Jennifer Aniston's raw reflections on Perry’s death shed light on the complexity of their relationship, one built on shared experiences, laughter, and, ultimately, loss. The Friends cast has been left to navigate the pain of Perry's passing, but Aniston’s words emphasize the fond memories and gratitude for the friendship they had.