kes Perry’s death extra difficult for Aniston is that it’s been about a year since she lost her father, John Aniston, who starred in the show “Days of Our Lives.” Considering she’s still grieving her father’s death, it’s hard for her to process the death of someone whom she worked closely with for many years.
A source who spoke to Page Six shared that of the surviving “Friends” cast members “Jen is probably the one who is struggling most acutely” followed closely by Courtney Cox, who portrayed Monica Geller on the sitcom.
The source explained that Aniston “still hasn’t fully regained her footing” following her dad’s death, and as a result, Perry’s death “has just completely knocked her off her feet.” The source added, “She is trying to regroup and recover, but it’s been a completely devastating blow.”
A year ago, in an interview with Diane Sawyer, Perry credited Aniston for being “the one that reached out the most” throughout the years and throughout his struggles. He added, “I’m really grateful to her for that.”
Jim Burrows, the director of “Friends,” also confirmed that Aniston is taking Perry’s death particularly hard. On TODAY, he explained that he texted “the girls” from the “Friends” cast the day Perry died. The three female leads on the show were Aniston, Cox, and Lisa Kudrow, who portrayed Phoebe Buffay. He said, “They were destroyed” by the news of Perry’s death. He added, “It’s a brother dying.”
The “Friends” cast released a joint statement about Perry’s death. They wrote, “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family.” They added that “there is so much to say,” but right now, as they cope with the loss of Perry’s death “we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”
Watch the video below to learn more about Perry’s acting career and tributes to him from the cast of “Friends” as well as other famous friends and former costars.
