In the days following the death of Matthew Perry there have been many questions asked as to the cause of his abrupt demise.
The Friends star was extremely open regarding his long-term battle with drug addiction and alcoholism, but his passing came as an undeniable shock to the entertainment industry and his legion of loyal fans.
As per reports, the 54-year-old was found after an apparent drowning at his LA home on Saturday. Perry was reportedly pulled from his jacuzzi after his assistant returned from an errand, and the emergency services were called to respond to a possible cardiac arrest.
According to TMZ, initial tests on Perry’s body have been undertaken to reveal Perry’s cause of death, and some of the results are in…
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Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing in the ’90s smash-hit Friends, was found dead of an apparent drowning at the weekend at his home in LA.
Reports state that the actor had played pickleball for two hours before returning home. He then sent his assistant out on an errand, yet the assistant returned two hours later to find Perry unresponsive in his jacuzzi.
Born in 1969 to a Canadian mother and American father, the actor made his film debut in the 1988 film A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, which also starred the late River Phoenix.
Credit / Gotham / GC Images / Getty.
He then had appearances in other TV shows like Growing Pains, Sydney with Valerie Bertinelli and Beverly Hills, 90210.
His big break came as the sharp-tongued Chandler in Friends, a role he played for 10 seasons of the show’s run, from 1994 to 2004.
Perry, who was not married and had no children, had a long history of drug and alcohol abuse and had been in rehab 15 times.
His toxic relationship with alcohol started as a 24-year-old when he was first cast on Friends. “I could handle it, kind of. But by the time I was 34, I was really entrenched in a lot of trouble,” Perry confessed.
“But there were years that I was sober during that time. Season 9 was the year that I was sober the whole way through. And guess which season I got nominated for best actor? I was like, ‘That should tell me something.’”
Credit / Frederick M. Brown / Getty.
Opening up about his decades-long struggle with addiction in his 2022 book, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry explained that he had 14 surgeries to try correct the damage done to his stomach lining from alcohol and opioid use.
Nevertheless, early reports suggested that there had been no drugs found at the scene of his death, nor did authorities suspect foul play.
Law enforcement sources have now also told TMZ that investigators ran a test on Perry that revealed he did not have fentanyl or meth in his system at the time of his passing.
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They say more thorough tests are being conducted as part of the toxicology, but said results could take anywhere between four to six months to come back.
In his memoir, released last year, Perry spoke candidly on his many struggles with addiction. He also addressed the subject of his weight gain after the conclusion of Friends, and appeared to be doing his utmost to get his life back on the right track.
We’re heartbroken to learn of Matthew Perry’s passing. If you’re also a fan of the late actor, let us know in the comments. Meanwhile, check out the story below if you want to know more:
New detail in how Matthew Perry’s body was found comes to light – and it’s so tragic
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