Devastated Five Remaining ‘Friends’ Cast Members Are \201cReeling from the Loss of Their Brother\201d Matthew Perry

(Image credit: Getty)

published 30 October 2023

Next year will mark 30 years since the six cast members of Friends met, and the five who remain following Matthew Perry’s death over the weekend are “reeling” from the loss of their beloved “brother,” Page Six reports.

The outlet reports that Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer are preparing to release a joint statement after Perry was found dead Saturday at his L.A. home, the result of an apparent drowning.

“The cast is reeling from the loss of their brother, because that’s what Matty was—their brother,” an industry source told the outlet. “It’s just devastating.”

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The hit series ran for 10 seasons, from 1994 to 2004, and launched lifelong friendships, in addition to catapulting all six cast members into stardom. Perry, who was open about his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction, was especially close to Aniston after filming wrapped nearly 20 years ago.

“She was the one that reached out the most,” Perry told Diane Sawyer last year. “You know, I’m really grateful to her for that.” Perry also revealed in his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing that it was Aniston who initially confronted him when his substance abuse became evident.

Matthew Perry with his "Friends" costars

“The entire cast are close,” they said. “They will be devastated, because they were together through the best of times and worst of times. And when Matty was sick, they protected him. They looked after him fiercely.”

Over the weekend, Perry’s family spoke out about the devastating loss, saying in a statement “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.”

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.