Jennifer Aniston is urging fans to donate to a new foundation set up in her late Friends co-star Matthew Perry’s name.
Last month, Matthew was found dead at his home, at the age of 54. Having spoken openly about his own substance abuse issues throughout his time in the spotlight, it was later revealed that the Matthew Perry Foundation was being set up in his name.
The organisation said it aims to help those who struggle with addiction in their recovery, and 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”.
On Tuesday evening, Jen reshared a post from the Matthew Perry Foundation on her Instagram page, asking: “Please join me and Matty’s family in supporting his foundation – which is working to help those suffering with addiction.”
“He would have been grateful for the love,” she added.
While promoting his 2022 memoir, Matthew spoke about what he hoped his legacy would be, and shared his wish that people remembered him more for helping others than his work on Friends.
“The best thing about me, bar none, is that if somebody comes to me and says, ‘I can’t stop drinking, can you help me?’ I can say ‘yes’ and follow up and do it,” Matthew said on the Q podcast with Tom Power, in a clip that has resurfaced on social media in recent weeks.
He added: “When I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned. I want that to be the first thing that’s mentioned. And I’m gonna live the rest of my life proving that.”
Following Matthew’s death, his five Friends co-stars issued a joint statement, saying they were “utterly devastated” by the news.
Since then, each of them has posted an individual tribute, with Jennifer recalling one of her most recent text conversations with Matthew to demonstrate what their friendship was like.
Help and support:
- If you need help with a drinking problem, call the Alcoholics Anonymous national helpline for free on 0800 9177 650 or email help@aamail.org.
- For advice on how to reduce drinking, visit Drinkaware’s website or Alcohol Change UK.
- Find alcohol addiction services near you using this NHS tool.