Jennifer Aniston cried over thought of ‘losing’ Matthew Perry in 2004
Nearly 20 years before Matthew Perry’s death, his close “Friends” co-star Jennifer Aniston broke down in tears over him during a 2004 Diane Sawyer interview.
The sit-down has now resurfaced following Perry’s tragedy. The late star died of an apparent drowning in his hot tub at his California home on Saturday. He was 54.
Aniston, 54, spoke about the “Fools Rush In” actor as the beloved NBC comedy was coming to an end after 10 seasons. Sawyer, 77, asked the actress what each cast mate “didn’t know” about themselves.
While the “Morning Show” actress looked elated speaking of co-stars such as Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow, she immediately looked down and sobbed when Perry’s name was brought up.
“That he’s alright,” she said of what she hopes he knows about himself.
In a voiceover, Sawyer chimed in: “Perry has had a tough battle with addiction. When it hit, his fellow actors tried, but didn’t know how to help.”
“He struggled,” Aniston went on, referring to his yearslong battle with drug and alcohol addiction.
“We didn’t know. We weren’t equipped to deal with it,” she continued. “Nobody had ever dealt with that. And the idea of even losing him … he’s having a road. But he’s alright.”
Perry’s battles intensified during the show’s 10-year run. Last year, he estimated he spent $9 million over the years trying to get sober, attended 6,000 AA meetings and went to rehab 15 times.
While promoting his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” he revealed that Aniston was the one to confront him about his drinking on set at the time.
Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer broke their silence on Perry’s death on Monday.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” read their statement, obtained by People. “There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”
“In time we will say more, as and when we are able,” the statement continued. “For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
