Netflix’s Matthew Perry documentary revealed new details about the Friends cast’s attendance at his open casket funeral.
In The One About Matthew Perry, which premiered Tuesday, October 27, Perry’s sister Mia Perry Bowick recalled seeing Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc gathering with his loved ones.
“I hadn’t seen them in easily 20 years. Jennifer Aniston was the first one of them to come up to me and give me a huge hug. But they all did,” Bowick said. “And then, all five of them walked up to the casket holding hands and stood around him, crying.”
Bowick went on to describe the moment she felt Perry’s presence at his funeral, saying, “He showed up right behind my right shoulder and goes, ‘How f***ed up is this?’ And I started laughing so hard. I was like, ‘Oh, my God — there he is!’ Making me laugh at the most horrible moment, and also incredibly inappropriate for me to start laughing.”
She concluded: “But I just started cracking up. And I was like, ‘Yeah man, this is pretty f***ed up.’”
Perry rose to stardom as Chandler Bing on NBC’s hit sitcom Friends, which ran from 1994 to 2004. The cast stayed close after the show ended, reuniting for an HBO Max special in 2021. Two years later, they navigated tragedy when Perry died at age 54 due to “acute effects of ketamine.”
Us confirmed in October 2023 that officers responded to a call regarding a person in cardiac arrest at a home in Los Angeles, where they found the actor unconscious in a hot tub.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” Perry’s former Friends costars said in a joint statement days after his death. “There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”
None of the Friends stars appeared in The One About Matthew Perry.
“I know the Friends actors love Matthew, and grieve Matthew. We did ask them if they would participate, and they decided not to,” director Mary Robertson told Page Six about their absence. “I think everyone grieves in their own way. And I understand why someone might feel that this isn’t the moment to talk.”
She continued: “And I understand Mia felt that this was absolutely the moment when she should be sharing this really raw and open and vulnerable and powerful and funny account of loving her brother.”
Two months after Perry’s death, a toxicology report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office listed drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine — which is used to treat addiction — as contributing factors.
Perry’s death was ruled an accident, and an initial investigation was closed in January 2024 before being reopened. Five people have since faced federal charges in connection to Perry’s death.
Perry’s assistant Kenneth Iwamasa pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, while Jasveen Sangka, also known as “The Ketamine Queen,” pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of ketamine, one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury and one count of using her home for drug distribution.
Erik Fleming also pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. Dr. Salvador Plasencia pleaded guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine and Dr. Mark Chavez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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