Matthew Perry’s Family Issues Statement Following His Death

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Matthew Perry, the actor best known for his role in the beloved NBC sitcom Friends, died Saturday at the age of 54. His family issued a statement expressing their heartbreak.

In a statement released Sunday, the family wrote:

“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.”

Matthew Perry was the only child born to Suzanne Morrison and John Bennett Perry. The couple split a year after his birth and both went on to remarry and have more children.

The actor was primarily raised in Canada but moved to California to live with his father when he was a teen. His dad was also an actor with credits on shows such as Little House on the Prairie, Days of Our Lives, Falcon Crest, Murder, She Wrote, and many more. Throughout the 1970s and ’80s John was known as the “Old Spice guy,” appearing as a clean-shaven sailor in a series of their commercials.

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In 1998, John guest-starred in an episode of Friends alongside Matthew. In the episode he portrayed the father of Rachel Green’s boyfriend.

Matthew Perry’s parents divorced more than fifty years ago, but came together for their son during his years of opioid and alcohol addiction. In a 2022 interview with Diane Sawyer, Perry recalled being hospitalized with a burst colon in 2018.

“They were both standing at the edge of my bed,” Matthew recalled of his parents. “I was like, ‘Whoa, I must be really sick for this to be happening.’”

Perry is survived by his parents and stepfather, Keith Morrison, and five half-siblings.

Watch Matthew Perry talk about his family and upbringing with Diane Sawyer in the video below.