Matthew Perry’s Cause of Death: What We Know

The world was shocked to learn on Saturday that Friends star Matthew Perry had died at the age of 54. At this time, few details have been released regarding the actor’s passing. However, TMZ did report that Perry’s cause of death appeared to stem from a drowning incident that took place at his home in Los Angeles. 

According to the outlet, on the morning of Perry’s death, he played a two-hour round of pickleball. Once he returned to his residence, he sent his assistant to run an errand for him. When the assistant returned after a two-hour period, he found the actor unresponsive and called 911. Authorities rushed to the scene after receiving the call, which alerted them to a possible cardiac arrest. Perry was reportedly found in the jacuzzi and appeared to have drowned. 

TMZ reported that there were no drugs found at the scene. There is also no foul play suspected in Perry’s passing. Even though the publication has provided some insight into the distressing situation, Matthew Perry’s official cause of death has not yet been confirmed. 

Perry is best known for his portrayal of Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom Friends. He starred in the show alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer. At the time of this article’s publication, the Friends cast has not yet publicly responded to the sad news. 

In the past, Perry has been open about his struggles with substance abuse and addiction. He began drinking regularly around the age of 18. As Variety noted, he became dependent on Vicodin around 1996 after being involved in a jet ski accident. Perry told PEOPLE in 2013 about his addiction issues, “I had a big problem with alcohol and pills and I couldn’t stop. Eventually things got so bad that I couldn’t hide it, and then everybody knew.”

Perry opened up about the topic even more recently in 2022 with the release of his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir. He explained that after a serious medical emergency years prior, he finally decided to stop taking drugs. In 2018, his colon burst, which led to him being hospitalized for five months and near death. The Friends star explained that “everything” begins with sobriety and that without it “you’re going to lose everything that you put in front of it, so my sobriety is right up there.”

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