Courteney Cox Remembers Her Friends Co-Star Matthew Perry On His First Death Anniversary With Heartfelt Tribute: 'Missing You Today And...'
Courteney Cox pays tribute to her late Friends co-star and friend Matthew Perry on the first anniversary of his death.
Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of death and substance abuse.
Courteney Cox, who starred in Friends as Monica Geller, has opened her heart in an emotional tribute to late co-star Matthew Perry on the first anniversary of his tragic demise. Best known for playing the affable Chandler Bing in the widely watched sitcom, Perry died on October 28, 2023, at the age of 53 years. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner classified it as an accidental death due to the “acute effects of ketamine” after conducting post-mortem tests.
Monica and Chandler became a fan-favorite pair on the show over the years, amassing a noteworthy following. Cox took to Instagram to express "Missing you today and always" followed by a heart emoji and tagging the Matthew Perry Foundation, which supports people suffering from addiction.
Cox added two pictures in her post, the first one being her and Perry gazing and fondly smiling at each other on likely a set. The second picture contains a throwback to all the five friends who starred in the 1994-2004 classic sitcom — Jennifer Aniston (Rachel), Courteney Cox (Monica), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe), Matt LeBlanc (Joey), Matthew Perry (Chandler), and David Schwimmer (Ross).
Perry's death garnered immense sorrow among fans across the globe and the people in the entertainment industry. This became all the more poignant as he had previously spoken about his addiction issues relating to alcohol and opioid abuse in the book Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing which also chronicles the life of the actor. The book also talks about his alcohol and drug addiction and the different rehabilitation programs that he went through.
The investigation of his death has so far resulted in several arrests, including one doctor and a defendant who has been referred to as the Ketamine Queen. They had engaged in the supply of ketamine to Perry. The actor was discovered deceased in the bathtub of his residence in Los Angeles on October 28, 2023. An autopsy done on him concluded that ketamine usage was one of the reasons for his death.
Matthew Perry met with such a grim end due to the mindless corporate greed of drug dealers, five of whom have been arrested including a physician Mark Chavez from California who was amongst the ones who possessed and distributed the drug to Perry, and even pleaded guilty to this crime.
If you know someone who is struggling with alcohol or substance abuse, please reach out to the authorities and report it. There are several helplines available for the same.
ALSO READ: How Matthew Perry's Struggles With Addiction Impacted His Romance With Julia Roberts