Revealing the cause of death of ‘Friends’ comedy series star
It was revealed that the death of the star of the comedy series “Friends,” Matthew Perry, resulted from the “acute effects” of his use of the drug ketamine, as announced by the coroner’s office in Los Angeles County on Friday.
The same source explained that other factors also contributed to Perry’s death, described as an “accident,” including coronary artery disease, the effects of buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid addiction.
Ketamine is a drug intended for medical and veterinary anesthesia but is sometimes misused for recreational purposes.
Perry, 54, known especially for his role as Chandler Bing in the series “Friends,” had been struggling for years to overcome his addiction to drugs and alcohol, often resorting to rehabilitation centers.
In his memoirs published last year, Perry admitted to undergoing 65 rehab sessions to overcome his addiction and spent over 9 million dollars for this purpose.
He also underwent numerous surgical procedures related to drug addiction issues, including a seven-hour colon operation in 2018, to the extent that he said, “I was supposed to be dead.”
In his latest television appearance, Perry surprised the audience by confessing that he suffered significant anxiety “every night” during the filming of “Friends.”
Perry was famous for his humorous character Chandler Bing in the “Friends” series, which gained immense popularity and aired on NBC between 1994 and 2004 for its ten seasons, comprising 230 episodes.
Alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer, Perry contributed to the success of this beloved TV series, especially among young audiences in the United States and around the world.
The comedy series narrates the adventures of a group of friends – Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Ross, and Chandler – in New York, including romantic relationships among them, such as Monica and Chandler.
In the final stages of the series, all six main characters were earning around a million dollars per episode. According to Variety magazine, they requested 2.5 million dollars each for the reunion episode that aired in 2021. During this episode, Perry raised concerns among fans due to noticeable stuttering in his speech.
