Lisa Kudrow is ‘consolable’ that Matthew Perry ‘had to die happy’
Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry.
Getty Images (2)Lisa Kudrow still mourns Friends costar Matthew Perrybut she takes comfort in some of his sudden passing.
“This will sound strange. I’m more comforted that he was happy the day he died,” Kudrow, 61, said during her televised appearance. Podcast ‘Armchair expert’ on Monday, December 9. “He was allowed to die happily. And for me that was a gift.”
Perry died in October 2023 at the age of 54 at his home in Los Angeles. His official cause of death was later determined to be “the acute effects of ketamine,” which is used to treat opioid use disorder.
The conversation about Perry came up during Kudrow’s podcast appearance as host Dax Shepard said he knew the late actor “through sobriety.”
“This is where I start chewing my gum,” Kudrow replied. “This is where I need my nicotine.”
Lisa Kudrow wrote a moving foreword for Matthew Perry’s memoir, a year before the actor’s sudden death. “During those years, I didn’t really try to intervene or confront him because the little I knew about addiction was that his sobriety was beyond my control,” Kudrow, 60, wrote in Perry’s book, Friends, Lovers & The […]
As a recovering addict, Shepard, 49, admitted that it is “hard” to love someone with an addiction. “I would be grateful if I could go back and see it before it took its toll,” he said, referring to Kudrow’s ability to access a decade of footage of Perry on Friends.
Matthew Perry and Lisa Kudrow.
Donato Sardella/WireImage for Lollipop Theater NetworkKudrow admitted it was “complicated,” and went on to discuss her relationship with her late co-star.
“I loved meeting Matthew for the first time and meeting Matthew at the end, because God loves him, this is you, and I love you,” she said. “I understand, and so does he.”
Kudrow broke her silence on Perry’s death, weeks after he passed away.
“Shot down the pilot, Friends like uswas picked up immediately, we were at the NBC Upfronts. Then… You suggested we play poker AND make it so much fun while we initially bonded. Thank you for that,” she wrote in an Instagram post from November 2023. “Thank you for making me laugh so hard at something you said that my muscles ached and tears streamed down my face EVERY DAY.”
Her tribute continued: “Thank you for your open heart in a six-way relationship that required compromise. And a lot of ‘talking’. Thank you for showing up to work when you were unwell and being completely brilliant then. Thank you for the best 10 years anyone can have. Thank you for your trust.”
Kudrow told fans that Perry showed her “GRACE and LOVE” during their friendship. “Thank you for the time I had with you, Matthew,” she concluded.
Perry’s death was initially ruled an accident, but the investigation into his sudden death was reopened last January. Five people have now been charged in connection with his death.
Lisa Kudrow has joined her fellow Friends alumni in mourning the death of their co-star Matthew Perry. “Shot the pilot, Friends Like Us, got picked up right away, we were at the NBC Upfronts. Then… You suggested we play poker AND make it so much fun while we initially bonded. Thanks for that,” Kudrow, […]
The actor’s assistant Kenneth Iwamasa pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, while an acquaintance of Perry was named Erik Vlaming pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death. Dr. Mark Chavez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine. They cooperated in the research in exchange for a lower compensation.
Dr. Salvador Plasencia And Jasveen Sangha (aka the “Ketamine Queen”) have pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction or mental health, contact the national Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at samhsa.gov or 1-800-662-HELP.
