Matthew Perry‘s close friends believed he passed away from a drug overdose, disclosing that the actor struggled with sobriety, and would always feel a huge sense of shame whenever he fell off the wagon.
The actor’s close friends noted that the end of his popular sitcom, “Friends,” brought about “a lot of depression and disappointment in his career.” Their remarks come on the heels of an autopsy report which revealed that Perry died from the “acute effects of ketamine.” He was 54 years old.
Matthew Perry’s Close Friends Fear His Death Was Due To An ‘Overdose’
Two months after his sad and untimely death, a lot more is being uncovered about Perry and his battle with substance abuse.
Close friends of the star who spoke to Us Weekly believe he died of an “overdose.”
“He’s been struggling with sobriety for years,” a source shared with the news outlet. “Every time he fell off the wagon there was a huge sense of shame.”
They continued, “After Friends ended there was a lot of depression and disappointment in his career. He struggled with his mental health but never got help for it. The way he dealt with that was to isolate. Since the show, he was financially taken care of and didn’t have to work, so it created an environment to use.”
Perry was very open about his struggle with substance abuse and documented his battles in his memoir “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” released in 2022.
The actor noted in the book how it affected his health, leading to multiple operations and all his attempts at getting better. In the memoir, Perry spoke about his use of the drug Ketamine, writing that it “has my name written all over it — they might as well have called it ‘Matty.’”
In an autopsy report obtained by The Blast, Perry’s official cause of death was revealed to be the “acute effects of Ketamine.” The autopsy also reported drowning, coronary artery disease, and side effects from buprenorphine as contributing factors but not the direct cause of death.
Perry said in his memoir that he would “continually sign up for this S— [ketamine treatments]” because “it was something different, and anything different is good,” even though he felt like he was “dying” during the procedures.
“Taking K is like being hit in the head with a giant happy shovel. But the hangover was rough and outweighed the shovel,” he wrote.
In his memoir, the actor talked about attending rehab 15 times throughout his life and had claimed to be 18 months sober at the time the book was published.
Matthew Perry’s Loved Ones Think His Relapse Was Caused By ‘Loneliness’
Perry’s loved ones reportedly feared that “loneliness” exacerbated his struggle with substance abuse.
A source told Us Weekly, “It was like a tale of loneliness and how having all the money and fame can’t really save anyone. Fame was a distraction from his depression and addiction but when that went away he no longer had that distraction. He was living an isolated life.”
The actor’s last known romantic relationship was with Molly Hurwitz, a talent agent. The pair’s romance led to an engagement which ended after six months in June 2021.
The insider told the news outlet that Perry’s breakup “broke his heart.” They added, “He was never the same after that. He tried dating after that but he just didn’t have a connection.”
Perry was never married and passed away without any children, two things he reportedly wished to have.
“A big part of sadness in his life is also that he didn’t have children,” the source shared. “He wanted a family and he never found that person to settle down with and he was lonely.”
Molly Hurwitz Pays Tribute To Matthew Perry
Following Perry’s death, Hurwitz penned a touching tribute, recalling their relationship. She wrote on Instagram at the time, “He would love that the world is talking about how talented he was. And he really was very talented.”
Hurwitz continued, “As the Friends reunion was approaching, we rewatched the show together. ‘F—, I was so good!!!…See what I did there???’ We rewound and studied scenes. Our respect and appreciation of humor is something that connects us. Being with him as he rediscovered his brilliance was magical.”
“But, I obviously knew that man in a very different way, too. While I loved him deeper than I could comprehend, he was complicated, and he caused pain like I’d never known. No one in my adult life has had a more profound impact on me than Matthew Langford Perry. I have tremendous gratitude for that, for everything I learned from our relationship,” the talent agent added.
Hurwitz concluded her tribute by noting that she feels “relief” knowing that Perry is now “at peace.”