Matthew Perry’s Death Certificate Sheds Light on Actor’s Passing

Matthew Perry’s death certificate provides additional details about the Friends actor’s tragic death. On Nov. 14, the beloved sitcom actor’s death certificate was published, revealing that his time of death was 4:17 p.m. on Oct. 28 as he passed away in his hot tub at home. The document also revealed that Perry’s stepfather, Dateline’s Keith Morrison, was the relative who identified the actor to authorities after they responded to the scene.

Perry’s cause of death is still listed as pending investigation, as toxicology and other lab results are still being processed. The late actor was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles on Nov. 3, with his Friends co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer attending the funeral. The day Perry’s death certificate was released, LeBlanc took to Instagram to pay tribute to his late friend and co-star.

“It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life. It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend,” LeBlanc wrote. “I will always smile when I think of you and I’ll never forget you. Never. Spread your wings and fly brother you’re finally free. Much love. And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me.”

Cox also shared a memorial post on Tuesday, posting one of her favorite moments from filming with Perry – when their characters, Monica and Chandler, are revealed to have slept together. “I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day,” Cox wrote alongside the scene. “When you work with someone as closely as I did with Matthew, there are thousands of moments I wish I could share. For now here’s one of my favorites.”

“To give a little backstory, Chandler and Monica were supposed to have a one night fling in London,” she added. “But because of the audience’s reaction, it became the beginning of their love story. In this scene, before we started rolling, he whispered a funny line for me to say. He often did things like that. He was funny and he was kind.”

The Friends cast had previously released a group statement following Perry’s death. “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew,” they said in the statement. “We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss. In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”