Jennifer Aniston says 'Friends' cast was 'mourning' Matthew Perry long before his death

Jennifer Aniston is speaking openly about the addiction struggles her “Friends” co-star Matthew Perry went through before his death.

“We did everything we could when we could,” Aniston told Vanity Fair in their cover story on her.

“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,” she continued.

Perry struggled with alcohol and painkillers from a young age, as described in his memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.” He even talked about his co-stars’ efforts in the book, which came out in 2022, a year before he died.

He died on October 28, 2023, at age 54 from the “acute effects” of ketamine, with drowning being a contributing factor.

“As hard as it was for all of us and for the fans, there’s a part of me that thinks this is better,” Aniston said of his death. “I’m glad he’s out of that pain.”

Aniston shared in 2023 that she had spoken with Perry the day he died via text, recalling he seemed to be doing better than he had been.

“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. “I was literally texting with him that morning, funny Matty. He was not in pain. He wasn’t struggling. He was happy.”

She added, “I want people to know he was really healthy, and getting healthy. 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.”

Read more from Aniston’s Vanity Fair cover story at their website.