Matthew Perry: ‘Warning signs’ in final days before death
A friend of actor Matthew Perry has told of concerns for the star’s health as new details surrounding his cause of death emerge.
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The coroner for Los Angeles County has listed actor Matthew Perry’s cause of death as “deferred”, pending the final results of toxicology tests and further investigation.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office has released the 54-year-old actor’s body to his heartbroken family, but said a cause of death was yet to be determined.
First responders who rushed to Perry’s Pacific Palisades home after he was found dead in his jacuzzi did not find illegal drugs on the premises, but new information from police sources has revealed there was a variety of prescription drugs.
It came as it emerged that Perry’s pickleball partner might have spotted scary warning signs about the state of the star’s health during their last match together.
TV presenter Billy Bush, host of Extra, revealed in an Instagram post that Perry had been feeling “fatigued” while playing the popular racquet sport just hours before his death.
In a lengthy post, Bush shared what the actor’s pickleball partner told him.
He wrote: “I spoke to the woman he played with this morning and every morning.
“She is in shock, adored Matt … she said he had been fatigued today and over the past week.
“A little more than usual. He played for one hour, then went home.”
Bush mentioned the actor, who was a top-ranked tennis player in his youth, played the sport “every day and sometimes twice. It regulated his days.”
Police sources told TMZ that antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs and medication for COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) were found in the star’s home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles.
COPD is a common lung disease that can be triggered by smoking, causing emphysema or chronic bronchitis.
Perry had been open about his heavy smoking habit throughout his life and how he found it impossible to quit cigarettes.
The star had returned home after playing the popular racquet sport in the hours before his death and sent his assistant out on an errand to pick up glasses and an iPhone.
Two hours later, the assistant found Perry unresponsive in the jacuzzi and called 911.
The 911 dispatch call made in the minutes after he was found revealed details about the Friends star’s death from apparent drowning.
In the 16-second audio, obtained by TMZ, a man can be heard saying “rescue 23” and “drowning.” The clip was bleeped out at certain points.
STAR DINED WITH FRIENDS BEFORE DEATH
In the days leading up to his death, the star had been spotted going out for dinner with friends in Los Angeles.
Perry was seen outside The Apple Pan, a chain of American restaurants famed for burgers and pancakes.
He also shared an eerie last post from his hot tub just days before his passing.
“Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I’m Mattman,” the actor captioned the photo.
In the days before his jacuzzi post, worried friends and fans posted on Instagram concerned for his whereabouts when Perry failed to return calls after he posted a picture of a carved pumpkin with a Batman sign.
One friend called ladynorthernlight wrote: “So Matt, you do know there are a few of us who are a little concerned about you right now?
“I am hoping you’re just having a little silly fun or you’re hinting at a new project. Your fans adore you and want you to be happy and healthy — please take care of yourself?”
Sad news, I was tuned into his journey.
— Daniel O’Reilly (@dapperlaughs) October 29, 2023
Rest in peace Matthew Perry, dedicated to using the battle he was fighting with his own demons to help other’s ðŸ•Šï¸ pic.twitter.com/8TIMPhP097
As fans and Hollywood reeled from his death, a video emerged of Perry talking about how he wanted his legacy to be his campaign to help others dealing with addiction.
“Best thing about me — bar none — is if somebody comes up to me and says, ‘I can’t stop drinking, can you help me?” I can say yes and follow up and do it, that’s the best thing,’ Perry said in a resurfaced video.
“And I’ve said this for a long time, when I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned.”
FAMILY TELLS OF HEARTBREAK
It came as Perry’s family spoke out after his shock death.
The actor’s family told TMZ: “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother. Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend. You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love.”
Within hours of the discovery of Perry’s body, his father John Bennett Perry, mother Suzanne and stepfather Keith Morrison arrived at the property looking distraught.
Perry’s parents divorced when he was a child and the actor had five half-siblings from their subsequent marriages.
Neither parent spoke to the media camped outside the house.
The New York Post previously reported that first responders rushed to the address after receiving a call reporting a cardiac arrest.
The Los Angeles Times said police were called to the house at 4pm local time on Saturday and the Los Angeles Police Department said they had attended the address for “a death investigation of a man in his 50s”.
In a statement, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed, “We responded to the 1800 block of Blue Sail Rd for a death investigation on a male at 4.10pm this afternoon.
“He was in his 50s.”
Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey told CNN a 911 call came in at 4.07pm local time for a water rescue emergency.
Humphrey said it was unclear what body of water it was.
A LIFE SCARRED BY ADDICTION
Perry had been candid about his problems with drugs and alcohol, after first going to rehab in 1997 for what was said to a pain medication addiction after a jet skiing accident.
He told an interviewer in 2016 that he had no memory of filming three seasons of Friends due to his addictions.
He revealing the extent of his addiction in his best-selling 2022 autobiography, which was titled Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir.
He wrote in his memoir that he had to have 14 surgeries to help repair his abdominal damage from his ruptured colon and that he went to rehab 15 times in his bid to kick his addictions.
Born in the US and raised in Canada, the actor was best known for playing fan-favourite Chandler Bing for ten seasons of the sitcom Friends.
During Friends, Perry also starred in movies such as Fools Rush In and The Whole Nine Yards.
Off-screen, the six Friends stars — Perry, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow negotiated together to become some of the highest-paid actors on a television series at the time.
After the series, Perry was in several television shows but did not achieve the success of Friends as his addictions worsened.
A Warner Bros. Television Group spokesperson said they were “devastated” by the star‘s passing.
“Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros.
“The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many.
“This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans.”
In mid-2021, Perry joined the rest of the Friends cast for the highly anticipated reunion, but his slurred speech left many fans concerned.
Addressing his appearance in an interview with US TV presenter Diane Sawyer last year, the actor revealed he’d had to undergo “emergency dental surgery” shortly before filming, which had “made [his] mouth feel like fire”.
“It sounded like my voice was off,” he acknowledged, but added that he knew he “couldn’t not show up.”
“So what I chose to do was just go and do the best that I could,” Perry told Sawyer, who referenced the “wear and tear on his voice and speech”.
Originally published as Matthew Perry: ‘Warning signs’ in final days before death
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