Matthew Perry: ‘Friends’ co-stars break silence, ‘utterly devastated’ by actor’s death

The cast of “Friends” issued a statement on Monday about co-star Matthew Perry, calling the actor’s death an “unfathomable loss.”

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In a joint statement to People, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer said they were devastated by Perry’s death.

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

The message was signed by the five co-stars, People reported.

Perry, 54, was known for his role as Chandler Bing on the sitcom “Friends” from 1994 to 2004, died Saturday from an apparent drowning.

The Los Angeles Times, citing anonymous sources, said that authorities responded to Perry’s home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles at about 4 p.m. PDT, where he was found unresponsive in a hot tub.

Law enforcement sources did not provide a cause of death because the investigation was ongoing, the newspaper reported. There was no sign of foul play.

The Los Angeles Police Department’s robbery-homicide detectives are investigating the death, according to the newspaper.

An autopsy was completed Sunday on Perry but his cause of death was listed as “deferred,” the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office said.

A deferred case generally means that an autopsy has been completed, but the examiner needs more time and additional investigation into the death, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Perry received a Primetime Emmy nomination in 2002 for his performance in “Friends,” Variety reported.

In his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” Perry wrote how longtime opioid use caused his colon to burst in 2018. He also touched on his lifelong struggle with opioids and alcohol, which led to several trips to rehabilitation centers, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The co-creators of “Friends,” Marta Kauffman and David Crane, joined executive producer Kevin Bright and issued a joint statement on Sunday, People reported.

“We are shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew’s passing,” the trio wrote. “It still seems impossible. All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives. He was a brilliant talent.”

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Photos: Matthew Perry through the years 1994: Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing on "Friends" in 1994. (Reisig & Taylor/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

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Remembering Matthew Perry A person takes pictures of a makeshift memorial for Matthew Perry outside the building known as the "Friends" building in New York, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. Fans lingered in the rain, taking pictures and leaving flowers on the corner outside the building shown in exterior shots on the popular TV show. Perry, who played Chandler Bing on NBC’s “Friends” for 10 seasons, was found dead at his Los Angeles home on Saturday. He was 54. (AP Photo/Brooke Lansdale) (Brooke Lansdale/AP)

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