It’s been nearly one year since the sudden and tragic death of ‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry. On October 28, 2023, the actor was found dead in the hot tub of his Pacific Palisades home after suffering from a ketamine overdose.
His death shocked the world, especially fans of the hit 90s sitcom who adored his character Chandler Bing.
Costar Jennifer Aniston, who played Rachel Green on the comedy, was especially devastated at the sudden loss. She and Perry were “deeply connected,” and became the closest of the main cast, remaining pals up until the day he died.
The friendship between the real life Chandler Bing and Rachel Green began before the two were cast in the show. Perry admitted in his autobiography, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, that he asked Aniston out and she rejected him. He was able to quell his crush on his castmate, which grew into a different kind of love in the form of a deep and meaningful lifelong friendship.
The two worked together on Friends for 10 years, from 1994 to 2004, and again in 2021 for the show’s reunion. Over the years, Aniston reached out to Perry amidst his struggles with addiction, becoming an integral part of the actor’s support system.
She once broke down during an interview over her fear of losing Perry due to his issues. She said, “We didn’t know. We, you know, we weren’t equipped, we weren’t – to deal with it. You know, nobody had ever dealt with that and, you know, the idea of even losing him.”
On November 15, 2023, just over two weeks from the day Perry died, she shared a heartfelt message on Instagram. “Oh boy this one has cut deep… Having to say goodbye to our Matty has been an insane wave of emotions that Ive never experienced before. We all experience loss at some point in our lives. Loss of life or loss of love. Being able to really SIT in this grief allows you to feel the moments of joy and gratitude for having loved someone that deep.”
She continued, “And we loved him deeply. 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. 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. And boy did he succeed in doing just that. He made all of us laugh. And laugh hard. In the last couple weeks, Ive been poring over our texts to one another. Laughing and crying then laughing again. Ill keep them forever and ever. I found one text that he sent me out of nowhere one day. It says it all.”
She wrapped up the message by addressing him directly, “Matty, I love you so much and I know you are now completely at peace and out of any pain. I talk to you every day sometimes I can almost hear you saying could you BE any crazier? Rest little brother. You always made my day”
The pair had an undeniable bond, and were apparently texting one another the morning of his death. When it comes to his health, the Morning Show actress has said that despite his struggles, Perry working on himself, and was happy.
It’s been a year since the Friends star died, and there is no doubt that Aniston is still mourning the loss of her pal.
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