Sean Penn Under Fire for Matthew Perry Death Comments

Penn admitted that he wasn't "very surprised" when he found out about Perry's death.

By Megan Behnke

Sean Penn is under fire for his controversial comments surrounding Matthew Perry's death. The Friends actor was found dead at his home in Los Angeles on Oct. 28 after a reported drowning. The world was quick to mourn the beloved actor, with fans and celebrities alike paying tribute to Perry, his Friends character, the impact he made, and much more. Unfortunately, not every comment has been in tribute to Perry, and Penn is the latest one.

Via The Blast, the Mystic River actor appeared on Talk TV on Pierce Morgan Uncensored in the UK and gave his thoughts on Perry's death. "It's tragic," Penn shared. "I can't say I was very surprised. I don't know what the coroner's report says and all that, but I know he'd done a lot of organ damage over the years." Many people came at Penn for his comments, especially noting that the Friends star struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. Through his recovery, Perry became an advocate for rehabilitation and was even a spokesperson for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals.

One fan on Twitter said, "Actor Sean Penn has once again been the center of attention, this time for his statements about the death of Matthew Perry." There are many more tweets like that, with people defending the late actor. It's definitely not in a good light, and especially after all that Perry went through with his addiction, it's pretty sad.

Coincidentally, on the same episode, Penn praised Perry for speaking out about his struggles with addiction via EW. "He seemed to be talking about it, had confronted it, and was very intelligent and bold about it," Penn said. "And generously offering his experience to people to be helpful. He got to leave that tale behind, and he got to give a lot of joy to a lot of people with his talent. So, I wish his family well."

Meanwhile, there have been many tributes to Matthew Perry since his death. Much of the Friends cast have paid tribute, and there is even a tribute before every Friends season premiere on Max. It's been five weeks since his death, and it is still hard to process. It's likely many more tributes will continue to pour in, and while most will be sweet, there will likely be some that are not. Fans may be able to expect a Friends reunion at the Emmys in January, but nothing is official.

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