Is Matthew Perry OK? 'Friends' star appears to slur words amid reunion promotion, fans say 'he seems off'
'Friends' fans are concerned after star Matthew Perry on Wednesday, May 19, appeared to slur his speech in a promotional video for the upcoming reunion special. Perry's awkward demeanor was difficult to overlook as he sat with co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc to tease the reunion special, which was shot in April and will air on HBO and HBO Max on May 27.
But is Chandler okay? Here's what you need to know.
RELATED ARTICLES
The tragedy of Matthew Perry: Pornstars, drugs and the decline of an icon
Is Matthew Perry okay?
While with the group, the 51-year-old actor stammered and stared, slurring his words at one point. When asked if he ever took anything from set as a souvenir, he confessed, "I stole the cookie jar with the clock on it," with a heavy 'sh' sound at the start of "stole," the Daily Mail reported.
Matthew's physical appearance was on the healthier side, with less ruddy skin and a pearly white smile, despite his stilted speech. As David and Matt giggled and smiled at the TV star, who played Chandler Bing on the NBC hit, his castmates were able to hide their worries.
'Scared like hell'
Fans, on the other hand, were quick to express their concerns. "Just saw People interview and can't believe how Matthew Perry looks like… seriously it breaks my heart," one fan wrote on Twitter. "I know everyone is thinking about it but few are talking publicly about it. It pains me to see Matthew Perry like this, he just seems off, gazing at the void, speaking slowly... #FriendsReunion," wrote another. "And hate to say it, but I'm sad and scared like hell for Matthew Perry," a third chipped in.
Just saw People interview and can't belive how Matthew Perry looks like... seriously it breaks my heart💔
— Ponka_37 (@Ponka_37) May 19, 2021
I know everyone is thinking about it but few are talking publicly about it. It pains me to see Matthew Perry like this, he just seems off, gazing at the void, speaking slowly... 😔😔 #FriendsReunion
— Georgia 🦉 (@LightBluish95) May 19, 2021
and hate to say it, but I'm sad and scared like hell for Matthew Perry ❤️❤️❤️
— Maverick 🤠 (@ahmadfahmy) May 19, 2021
'Are you human? So is he'
Others made light of the situation. "When Matthew Perry heard there would be a “Friends” reunion, he thought he’d be reuniting with his friend cocaine," said one. But others yet reminded people to be kind. "Omg everyone lay off @MatthewPerry already. Are you human? Yeah? So is he.," said one. "Let’s not use the Friends reunion to make fun of the way Matthew perry looks these days. people age, funnily enough," said another Twitter user. "People age, funnily enough. Matthew has been through A LOT since friends wrapped up in 2004. be respectful instead of judgmental. hard block me rn if you think making fun of him is funny," they added.
When Matthew Perry heard there would be a “Friends” reunion, he thought he’d be reuniting with his friend cocaine. pic.twitter.com/xwCiHqTdDx
— Dennis Lokey (@DennisLokey) May 19, 2021
let’s not use the friends reunion to make fun of the way matthew perry looks these days. people age, funnily enough. matthew has been through A LOT since friends wrapped up in 2004. be respectful instead of judgmental. hard block me rn if you think making fun of him is funny.
— maree (@chndlerz) May 19, 2021
Omg everyone lay off @MatthewPerry already. Are you human? Yeah? So is he. #FriendsReunion
— Scarlett Stapleton (@ScarredNC) May 20, 2021
'I don’t remember three years'
Perry has previously spoken out about his past struggles with addiction, telling People that things got 'out of control and very unhealthy' after a 1997 jet-ski accident left him addicted to Vicodin. Matthew admitted to BBC Radio 2 in 2016 that his addiction had left him in a bad place. "I don’t remember three years of [the show],' he said. 'Somewhere between Seasons 3 and 6 … I was a little out of it," he said.
Perry was embarrassed after a match from the dating app Raya leaked a video message sent by the star, prompting the awkward teaser. During a flirty exchange, the Friends actor allegedly asked the 19-year-old teen, "Am I as old as your dad?"
Perry is currently engaged to fiancée Molly Hurwitz, 29. He could be seen in a video posted on Thursday flirting with TikTok user @kittynichole - real name Kate Haralson - who says they met on the membership-only dating service in May last year. Haralson has since been removed from the dating app, Celebrity Nine reported.