‘Friends’ Star Matthew Perry Reveals Huge Sum He Spent ‘Trying to Get Sober’

Matthew Perry is opening up about the cost of fighting drug and alcohol addiction for over half of his life. The Friends actor, 53, revealed he’s “probably spent $9 million or something trying to get sober” in an interview with The New York Times published Sunday surrounding his new memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, out Nov. 4.

Perry, who has been sober since early 2021, shortly before the Friends reunion aired in May, revealed to the Times that he began drinking when he was just 14 years old before eventually moving on to using benzodiazepines and opioids like Vicodin, Xanax and OxyContin. The actor revealed that the massive sum he’s spent battling addiction has not only gone towards rehab stays but also medical treatment related to his drug use.

In 2018, Perry was hospitalized after suffering from pneumonia and an exploded colon, according to The Times. He was briefly on life support, spent two weeks in a coma and was forced to use a colostomy bag for nine months as he endured more than a dozen stomach surgeries. Perry’s Friends co-stars were there for him the whole time, and Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe Buffay on the show, wrote the foreword for his memoir. 

“It’s a hideous disease, and he has a tough version of it. What’s not changing is his will to keep going, keep fighting and keep living,” she told the Times. “I love Matthew a lot. We’re part of a family. I’m basically ending this with ‘I’ll be there for you’ [the Friends theme song], but it’s true. I’ll always be there for him.” Perry’s co-star Jennifer Aniston, who played Rachel Green, also played an important role in his sobriety, as she was the first one to truly confront him about his drinking.

The Fools Rush In actor recalled in a trailer for his upcoming sit-down with Diane Sawyer that the Morning Show star even told him that “we know you’re drinking,” noting, “Imagine how scary a moment that was.” He added, “She was the one that reached out the most. I’m really grateful to her for that.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call the National Drug Helpline at (844) 289-0879.