Matthew Perry's family issue statement on plans to honour Friends star's legacy with charity foundation

28 November 2023, 11:34

Matthew Perry at CBS' 2014 Summer TCA Tour Portraits. Picture: Christopher Polk/CBS via Getty Images

By Jenny Mensah

The family of the late Friends star have shared a statement about the actor and the Matthew Perry Foundation.

Loading audio...

Matthew Perry's family has released a statement.

The Friends star's loved ones launched the Matthew Perry Foundation in early November following the actor's shocking death on 28th October, aged 54, and they have now released a statement sharing their pride in the venture as well as declaring they encouraged donations on Giving Tuesday - a global day of charity efforts.

The actor spent years battling drink and drug addiction and he estimated he'd spent around $9 million on his efforts to get sober and the charity will aim to provide others with the help they need to get clean.

A statement to People explained: "It is important to us, as a family, to honour Matthew’s legacy. The potential that the Matthew Perry Foundation has to help those suffering from this disease is something we are proud to bring to the world.”

Matthew's stepfather, Dateline presenter Keith Morrison, also took to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday evening (27 November) to urge his followers to give generously. He wrote: "This is not the sort of thing I commonly do, this pitch. But this year is different. And tomorrow is Giving Tuesday. Do what you can; he would have been grateful. https://matthewperryfoundation.org."

This is not the sort of thing I commonly do, this pitch. But this year is different. And tomorrow is Giving Tuesday. Do what you can; he would have been grateful. https://t.co/OmaqSgt1rq
— Keith Morrison (@dateline_keith) November 27, 2023

The celebrities and public figures we've lost in 2023

A statement posted on the charity's website explained: "The Matthew Perry Foundation is the realisation of Matthew's enduring commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction. It will honour his legacy and be guided by his own words and experiences and driven by his passion for making a difference in as many lives as possible."

The website also features a quote from Perry, which reads: "When I die, I don't want 'Friends' to be the first thing that's mentioned – I want helping others to be the first thing that's mentioned. And I'm going to live the rest of my life proving that. Addiction is far too powerful for anyone to defeat alone. But together, one day at a time, we can beat it down."Matthew Perry's family are "proud" to bring his charity to the world to help others battling addiction issues.

This month saw the Friends cast break their silence on the sad news of Perry's passing with individual posts on Instagram.

The solo tributes were led by Matt LeBlanc, who starred alongside Perry in the hit 90s sitcom as Chandler's best friend Joey Tribbiani.

Taking to Instagram on Tuesday (14th November), the actor shared a series of images alongside the caption: "It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. The times we had together are honestly among the favourite times of my life.

"It was an honour to share the stage with you and to call you my friend. 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."