Jennifer Aniston has shared a touching tribute to her close friend and fellow Friends co-star Matthew Perry on the first anniversary following his death.
Perry died on 28 October 2023 from the “acute effects of Ketamine” after taking the drug in unsupervised doses. An investigation was launched into his death with three arrests made, including of a doctor who has pleaded guilty to supplying the star with the fatal final quantity.
The actor was 54 when he died.
On Monday (28 October), the first anniversary of his passing, Aniston shared a touching tribute to the star.
Alongside a final image of Perry laughing, she shared one photo of her hugging the star in the early days of their career, one from them on the set of the record-breaking sitcom, and one of the cast in a group hug.
She captioned the post simply, writing : “One year” with a bandaged heart emoji and a flying dove. She also tagged the Matthew Perry Foundation in the post.
The Foundation was set up in the days after the actor’s death by his former longtime publicist Lisa Kasteler and manager Dough Chapin.
The organisation describes its mission as “the realisation of Matthew’s enduring commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction. We are guided by his words and experiences and inspired by his passion for making a difference in as many lives as possible.”
In the comments on the post, fans shared their grief and sympathy with the star.
“Matty will always have his Jenny’s love,” wrote one person.
Another added, “He became a beautiful angel and is watching over you! He loved you very much”.
Aniston and Perry starred together on the popular millennial show as spoiled Rachel Green who finds herself working in a coffee shop after ditching her husband at the altar and witty Chandler Bing respectively.
The show was released in 1994 and ran for ten seasons until its finale in 2004. The stars stayed in touch following the end of the show and went on to individual personal projects, including movies.
Perry was open about his struggles with addiction and wrote about them openly in his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. Aniston had shared her concerns for her co-star as early as 2004 and had been reduced to tears in an interview with Diane Sawyer at the time in which she shared her fears for the star.
