Jennifer Aniston made a tearful confession about Matthew Perry, as she got candid in the first interview since his passing.
The Morning Show actress opened up about how she would want the world to remember her Friends co-star, who sadly passed away on October 28th aged 54 years old.
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Jennifer Aniston remained close with Matthew Perry throughout his life
Jennifer explained that Matty, as she affectionately calls him, was “happy” and “healthy”. “He had quit smoking. He was getting in shape. He was happy – that’s all I know”, she added.
The actress revealed that she had been texting with him the morning of the day he passed away. “Funny Matty. He was not in pain. He wasn’t struggling. He was happy”, she asserted again.
Jennifer’s The Morning Show co-star Reese Witherspoon chimed in at this point that “it’s important people know that”.
WATCH: Jennifer Aniston in tears over Matthew Perry’s addiction struggles
Jennifer Aniston in tears over Matthew Perry’s addiction struggles
Heartbreaking clip of Jennifer Aniston sobbing over Matthew Perry’s addiction struggles resurfaces after his death
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Variety revealed that as Jennifer began crying while speaking about Matty, Reese immediately grabbed her hand and didn’t let go for the rest of the conversation as a sign of solidarity.
“I want people to know that he was really healthy, and getting healthy. He was on a pursuit. He worked so hard. He really was dealt a tough one”, Jennifer continued, before confessing that she misses him “dearly”.
Reese spoke about her own experience from appearing on Friends, when she played Rachel’s sister Jill. One thing she always remarked was how the case “all were so close.”
© Chris Weeks
Jennifer and Matty at the Lili Claire Foundation's 5th Annual "Helping Kids Fly Higher" Benefit
“I feel lucky that I got to be on that show and I walked in like Alice in Wonderland, watching the most popular cast do this whole thing. I remember going home and going, 'oh, they’re in another league'”, Reese said.
One thing Jennifer was keen to make clear was that she wanted her friend to be remembered how he had wanted to be remembered.
Matthew had spoken openly about his legacy, not just as a comic actor, but as an activist who advocated for people struggling with addiction.
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The cast of Friends
As such, he mentioned on the “Q With Tom Power” podcast that he would “like to be remembered as somebody who lived well, loved well, was a seeker, and his paramount thing is that he wants to help people. That’s what I want.”
“The best thing about me, bar none, is that if somebody comes to me and says, ‘I can’t stop drinking, can you help me?’ I can say ‘yes’ and follow up and do it,” Matthew said. “When I die, I don’t want ‘Friends’ to be the first thing that’s mentioned. I want that to be the first thing that’s mentioned. And I’m gonna live the rest of my life proving that.”
