The circumstances of Matthew Perry’s death still remain mysterious although an autopsy was carried out and the first results of a toxicological test are known.
The circumstances surrounding the death of Matthew Perry still remain unclear. The autopsy was unable to establish the exact cause of his death and toxicological analyzes were requested. Initial results have made it possible to rule out two avenues: that of an overdose of fentanyl and methamphetamine, these two substances not having been found in the body of the unforgettable interpreter of Chandler in the series Friends.
Other analyzes are underway to determine whether the actor from the cult sitcom could have consumed other drugs or medication before dying. But the results could be obtained after several weeks. The actor had been fighting for several years against an addiction to alcohol and certain medications, which could have led him to numerous detoxification treatments and sometimes very heavy hospitalizations.
Matthew Perry died in his jacuzzi on October 28, 2023, in Los Angeles. He was 54 years old. The preferred route would, for the moment, be that of drowning. Quoted by Fox News, the Los Angeles medical examiner listed “other important leads” that could have led to his death. They have not been revealed publicly.
According to information from TMZ, the actor was returning from a pickleball session, a sport he practiced daily, on the morning of Saturday, October 28. He then asked his assistant to run a race for him. The latter returned two hours later and discovered Matthew Perry unconscious in his jacuzzi, before immediately calling for help. At this time, we do not know what happened during the two hours that passed before his body was discovered.
One of his relatives revealed to TMZ that the actor “had never been happier” than the weeks before his death: the actor had just moved to a new home that he “loved.” He also had professional projects, such as a new film, and ideas for scripts.
At Matthew Perry’s home on the day of his death, no traces of criminal acts were found, nor the presence of drugs. Conversely, authorities found anti-anxiety medications, antidepressants and medications to treat lung diseases. At this time, it is not known whether his death was related to drug use or not.
For years, the American-Canadian actor had serious problems with addiction to painkillers and alcohol because of which he had to undergo detoxification treatment 65 times, according to his memoir published in 2022. The actor had had to undergo numerous operations due to his excessive drug and alcohol consumption.
In 2018, he underwent a seven-hour operation after a gastrointestinal perforation. He was then placed in a coma for two weeks and then remained in hospital for five months to recover. Following this experience, he confided: “I should be dead”, in the introduction to his memoirs. The actor had undergone fourteen stomach operations.
Matthew Perry was known for his role in the legendary sitcom Friends, which follows a group of six New York friends: Chandler, Rachel, Phoebe, Joey, Monica and Ross. The series offered ten seasons to many fans around the world, broadcast between 1994 and 2004 on the American channel NBC.
The rest of the cast of Friends reacted to the death of Matthew Perry in a joint press release to the Times on Monday, October 30: “We are all absolutely devastated by the loss of Matthew,” reacted his colleagues from the cult sitcom, Jennifer Aniston ( Rachel), Courtney Cox (Monica), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe), Matt LeBlanc (Joey) and David Schwimmer (Ross). “We were more than colleagues. We are family,” they wrote.