Jennifer Aniston opens up about Matthew Perry’s death: "It was so shocking"

13 November 2025, 14:36

The Friends star reflected on losing her longtime co-star and close friend, revealing how the cast “did everything we could” to help him through his struggles with addiction.

Jennifer Aniston has opened up about the devastating loss of her Friends co-star and longtime friend Matthew Perry, and how she and her fellow castmembers tried to help him during his long struggle with addiction.

Perry, who died in October 2023 at the age of 54, had been open about his struggles in his memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.

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He was found unresponsive at his home in Pacific Palisades on October 28, and an autopsy later revealed that his death was caused by the acute effects of ketamine, with drowning and coronary artery disease listed as contributing factors.

Speaking to Elle for its 2025 Women in Hollywood issue, Aniston described learning of Perry’s death as “alarming and shocking, yet not shocking."

She added that she and her former castmates — Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc — had often dreaded the call they ultimately received.

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“We miss him. He’s missed. He was a brilliant human being and an extraordinary talent, loved deeply, and wanted happiness more than anything,” Aniston said. “It makes me sad that he never really achieved that, because he deserved it.”

Reflecting on the years they tried to support him, Aniston told Vanity Fair earlier this year: “We did everything we could when we could.

"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.”

Following his death, Aniston posted an emotional tribute to Perry on Instagram, writing that saying goodbye to “our Matty” had been “an insane wave of emotions I’ve never experienced before.”

“He was such a part of our DNA,” she wrote at the time. “We were always the six of us — a chosen family that forever changed the course of who we were and what our path was going to be.”

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Upon the news of his death, the Friends cast — Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer — released a joint statement.

“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew," it said. "We were more than just cast mates. We are a family… For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”

Matt LeBlanc, who played Joey, posted a deeply personal tribute on Instagram, writing: “Matthew, it is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life. It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend.”

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He ended his message in true Friends style: “And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me.”

Other figures in his orbit also remembered him warmly, with actress Salma Hayek praising the “special bond” they had while filming Fools Rush In, describing him as having “silliness, perseverance, and a lovely heart.”

In her interview, Aniston noted the unique closeness of the six-person Friends cast — how their bond endured beyond the sitcom years, and how Perry remained part of their lives long after the cameras stopped rolling.