'I'm glad he's out of that pain': Friends star Jennifer Aniston opens up on death of co-star Matthew Perry

The US actress revealed the toll that Perry’s death took on her and her fellow ex-castmates after the 54-year-old actor was found dead at his Los Angeles home in October 2023. An autopsy later revealed that Perry, who had been open in the past about his addiction issues, had died due to “acute effects of ketamine”.

In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Aniston opened up about Perry’s death, telling the magazine herself and her Friends co-stars - Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc - had done “everything we could” to help Perry before his death.

She said: “But it almost felt like we’d been mourning Matthew for a long time because his battle with that disease was a really hard one for him to fight. As hard as it was for all of us and for the fans, there’s a part of me that thinks this is better. I’m glad he’s out of that pain.”

Aniston paid tribute to Perry on social media following his death. She said at the time: “Oh boy this one has cut deep... Having to say goodbye to our Matty has been an insane wave of emotions that I’ve never experienced before. We all experience loss at some point in our lives. Loss of life or loss of love. Being able to really SIT in this grief allows you to feel the moments of joy and gratitude for having loved someone that deep. And we loved him deeply.

“He was such a part of our DNA. We were always the 6 of us. This was a chosen family that forever changed the course of who we were and what our path was going to be. For Matty, he KNEW he loved to make people laugh. As he said himself, if he didn't hear the ‘laugh’ he thought he was going to die. His life literally depended on it. And boy did he succeed in doing just that. He made all of us laugh. And laugh hard.

Aniston added: “Matty, I love you so much and I know you are now completely at peace and out of any pain. I talk to you every day… sometimes I can almost hear you saying “could you BE any crazier?” Rest little brother. You always made my day…”

Five people were arrested and charged in connection with Perry’s death in 2023. Those charged included his live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, Erik Fleming, Dr Salvador Plasencia, Dr Mark Chavez and ‘Ketamine Queen’ Jasveen Sangha.

Dr Plasencia admitted to supplying Perry with the ketamine which would eventually take his life. He pleaded guilty at trial hearing last month, with his lawyer saying later in a statement: “Dr Plasencia is profoundly remorseful for the treatment decisions he made while providing ketamine to Matthew Perry.

“He is fully accepting responsibility by pleading guilty to drug distribution. Dr Plasencia intends to voluntarily surrender his medical license, acknowledging his failure to protect Mr Perry, a patient who was especially vulnerable due to addiction.”