The Tragic Story Of Matthew Perry’s Addiction Battle

Matthew Perry brought laughter to millions on ‘Friends,’ but off-screen, his life told a very different story. At the height of his fame, Perry seemed to have everything. But as he later admitted, that feeling didn’t last. Once the excitement faded, it left behind something much harder to ignore. While audiences watched Chandler Bing deliver punchlines every week, Perry was struggling behind the scenes. His weight dropped, his health declined, and in 2000, he was hospitalized with pancreatitis caused by alcohol abuse. He entered rehab several times, starting in 1997, but struggled to stay on track. A major turning point came in 2001, when, alone in a hotel room and fearing he might die, he reached out to his parents for help. From there, he slowly began rebuilding his life. But the struggle never fully left him. In 2023, after decades of trying to stay sober, Perry died from an accidental ketamine overdose at his Los Angeles home. He was 54.