Where did Matthew Perry's second funeral take place? Insider says 'Friends' star's final rites were split into two parts
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The second funeral service for 'Friends' star Matthew Perry took place at The Courts of Remembrance, which is made up of several open-air courtyards, further up from the church at Forest Lawn cemetery, an insider reportedly told the Daily Mail.
"It’s a special, more secluded area. More private. That part was only attended by Matthew’s family and closest friends. Less than 20 people. There were about another 20 at the first part of the services. It was very intimate," stated the insider.
"After the services, friends left while his family and few others took a car up to the area where the coffin was taken and then carried into The Courts of Remembrance," the insider further added.
Among those present at the second, private event, were Perry's mother Suzanne Morrison, 84, father John Perry, 82, and stepfather Keith Morrison, 76. The Dateline journalist was one of the pallbearers at the funeral.
The cemetery where Perry was laid to rest is located opposite Warner Bros Studios and also serves as the final resting place for a number of Hollywood stars, including Carrie Fisher, Bette Davis, Stan Laurel, Buster Keaton, INXS frontman Michael Hutchence and Anne Heche.
The Warner Bros Studios is where 'Friends', the iconic sitcom that shot Perry into stardom, was shot for 10 seasons.
Matthew Perry's 'Friends' co-stars did not attend second half of his funeral services
'Friends' stars Jennifer Aniston, 54, Lisa Kudrow, 60, Courteney Cox, 59, and David Schwimmer, 57, arrived as a quartet in the Los Angeles cemetery, somber and dressed in black. They were joined outside the church by their co-star Matt LeBlanc, 56, after the simple initial hour-long ceremony.
The actors were seen in conversation with other well-wishers of Perry and did not stay back for the second half of the services.
Perry was buried in a dark wooden coffin after the service.
An onlooker stated, "There was not a dry eye in there. There were a lot of tears and laughter. Only close friends and family spoke."
Jennifer Aniston was one of the first to arrive at Matthew Perry's funeral
The onlooker reportedly told the Daily Mail, "(Aniston) kept herself to herself. This is a high-profile gathering."
Perry and Aniston were the youngest of the six 'Friends' stars and shared a strong bond. In his 2022 memoir titled 'Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing', Perry stated that he had met Aniston three years prior to being cast in the sitcom when she had turned down his proposal to date.
However, the two formed a close friendship, with Aniston being a constant support for Perry throughout his battle with drug addiction.
A close friend of the actress told the Daily Mail, "Nobody shed more tears for Matthew during the darkest points of his struggles with addiction than Jennifer. There was speculation at the time of the 2021 Friends reunion that Matthew wouldn't be a part of it because his demons had gotten the better of him. But Jennifer absolutely wouldn't have done it without him."
"But Jennifer genuinely thought his worst days were behind him. So his death just two years later has come as a bitter body blow to her. It doesn't matter whether he died as a result of a freak accident or whether it was directly connected to his drug issues, this was a day that Jennifer has dreaded coming for 20 years," added the friend.
"She always wanted to help Matthew any way she could – that was a constant for her," the person added.