Friends star Matthew Perry dies of apparent drowning at 54
Matthew Perry, best known for his role on hit US sitcom Friends, has died of an apparent drowning at his home, a representative for the actor and a law enforcement source say.
The actor was 54 years old.
A 911 call was received by Los Angeles Police, at 4.07pm local time (12.07am UK time).
The incident at the star’s Pacific Palisades home in LA was treated as a water rescue, a law enforcement source said.
The source said there was no apparent foul play and no confirmed cause of death. An investigation is ongoing.
Perry in 2022. Pic: AP
Perry launched to fame for his role on 1990s sitcom Friends, alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer.
The hit show followed the close-knit group living in New York, with Perry playing Chandler Bing, who became known for his use of sarcastic one-liners.
The cast of Friends
The show ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004.
Around a year ago, Perry embarked on a press tour for the release of his memoir, Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir.
In which, he added to revelations about his battle with addiction, including a near-death experience in 2019 after his colon burst as a result of his use of opioids.
Perry with Friends co-stars Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston
He recalled one instance when Aniston confronted him about being inebriated while filming.
“I know you’re drinking,” he remembered her telling him once. “We can smell it,” she said, in what Perry called a “kind of weird but loving way”, adding “the plural ‘we’ hit me like a sledgehammer”.
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Aerial view of Matthew Perry’s home
American actress and author Selma Blair led tributes to the actor, posting an image of the two of them, with the caption: “My oldest friend”.
The star, who appeared in 1999 drama Cruel Intentions and Legally Blonde, wrote that she was “broken hearted” and loved Perry “unconditionally”.
Born in Massachusetts, Perry was raised in Ottawa, Canada and moved to LA to pursue an acting career at the age of 15. He joined the cast of Friends at the age of 24.
He received one Emmy nomination for his role as Chandler, and a further two for appearances on political drama television series The West Wing.
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Cast of Friends watch ‘Friends’ on set
Perry had several other notable film roles, starring opposite Salma Hayek in the 1997 romantic comedy, Fools Rush In, and opposite Bruce Willis in the crime comedy The Whole Nine Yards in 2004.
In 2021, Perry appeared alongside his Friends co-stars for a reunion special.
Hosted by James Corden, the original cast members visited old sets, including the Central Perk coffee shop, re-enacted some scenes and discussed the continuation of their character’s storylines.
Before acting, Perry was a top-ranked junior tennis player in Canada. He used to practice up to 10 hours a day, according to Tennis Canada.
The United States and European Union have agreed a trade deal, says Donald Trump.
The announcement was made as the US president met European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen at one of his golf resorts in Scotland.
Speaking after talks in Turnberry, Mr Trump said the EU deal was the “biggest deal ever made” and it will be “great for cars”.
The US will impose 15% tariffs on EU goods into America, after Mr Trump had threatened a 30% levy.
He said there will be an EU investment of $600bn in the US, the bloc will buy $750bn in US energy and will also purchase US military equipment.
Mr Trump had earlier said the main sticking point was “fairness”, citing barriers to US exports of cars and agriculture.
He went into the talks demanding fairer trade with the 27-member EU and threatening steep tariffs to achieve that, while insisting the US will not go below 15% import taxes.
For months, Mr Trump has threatened most of the world with large tariffs in the hope of shrinking major US trade deficits with many key trading partners, including the EU.
Ms von der Leyen said the agreement would include 15% tariffs across the board, saying it would help rebalance trade between the two large trading partners.
In case there was no deal and the US had imposed 30% tariffs from 1 August, the EU has prepared counter-tariffs on €93bn (£81bn) of US goods.
Ahead of their meeting on Sunday, Ms von der Leyen described Mr Trump as a “tough negotiator and dealmaker”.
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At least 11 people have been stabbed at a Walmart supermarket in Michigan, with six in a critical condition.
Officials say a suspect is in custody – and at this stage, it is believed the attack was a “random act” that involved a folding-style knife near the checkout area.
Sheriff Michael Shea told reporters: “Eleven is 11 too many, but thank God it wasn’t more.”
Pic: AP
The suspect, who is from Michigan, is not known to police – and was captured within three minutes thanks to “citizen involvement”.
The attack unfolded in Traverse City – and Tiffany DeFell, who was in the car park at the time, described scenes of chaos.
“It was really scary. Me and my sister were just freaking out,” she said. “This is something you see out of the movies.”
Beyond the six people in a critical condition, it is believed the remaining five were seriously hurt. All 11 are still being treated in hospital.
Pic: AP
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said: “Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence.”
A Walmart spokesperson added that the retailer is working closely with law enforcement.
“Violence like this is unacceptable. Our thoughts are with those who were injured and we’re thankful for the swift action of first responders,” a statement said.
Pic: AP
At this stage, the ages of the victims is unclear – but it is not thought any of the victims were Walmart employees.
Traverse City is about 255 miles northwest of Detroit.
A US passenger plane made a dramatic plunge minutes after take-off to dodge another aircraft – injuring two cabin crew and causing passengers to shoot out of their seats.
The Southwest flight had just taken off from Burbank in California when the pilot received an alert about a nearby plane.
Data from FlightAware shows the aircraft dropped by 91m (300ft) in just 36 seconds. Those on board said they felt panicked, and some feared the plane was about to crash.
Comedian Jimmy Dore posted on X: “Pilot had to dive aggressively to avoid mid-air collision … myself and plenty of people flew out of their seats and bumped heads on ceiling, a flight attendant needed medical attention.”
Stef Zambrano saw a woman who wasn’t wearing her seatbelt thrown out of her seat, who then said: “I want to get off this plane. I want to be on the ground.”
Another passenger, Steve Ulasewicz, told NBC Los Angeles that it felt like the plane was in freefall for 10 seconds.
“People were screaming. You know, it was pandemonium. People thought the plane was going down,” he added.
The aircraft was able to continue to its destination of Las Vegas, where it safely landed without any further incident.
It is believed the Boeing 737 was in the same vicinity as a Hawker Hunter Mk. 58, a British fighter jet.
Southwest is now working with the Federal Aviation Administration “to further understand the circumstances” of the event.
Read more US news:
Trump issues warning as he arrives in Scotland
US justice department interviews Ghislaine Maxwell
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January: Footage of Washington plane crash
This is the second time in a week that a passenger plane has had to make abrupt flight manoeuvres to avoid a potential mid-air collision.
Concerns have been raised about aviation safety in the US following a series of recent incidents.
In January, a mid-air collision in Washington DC killed 67 people.
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