Matthew Perry’s Friends co-stars ‘utterly devastated’ – as fresh details of death emerge
Matthew Perry’s Friends co-stars say they are “utterly devastated” by his sudden death.
Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer starred alongside Perry, 54, who played Chandler Bing, in the hit TV show from 1994 to 2004.
In a joint statement, the five said: “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family.
“There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.
“In time we will say more, as and when we are able.
“For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
Friends: The Reunion saw the cast back together on screen for the first time in 17 years. Pic: Sky/ Warner Media/ HBO
It comes as the Los Angeles Fire Department released further details about Perry’s death of an apparent drowning in a hot tub.
Captain Erik Scott said a bystander had brought the actor’s head above the water and got him to the edge of the hot tub before firefighters arrived at his US home on Saturday.
Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department responded to a radio call of an incident just after 4pm local time.
On Monday, Perry’s initial post-mortem results were inconclusive and the cause of death is yet to be determined as further investigations, including a toxicology report, has been requested.
Pic: Everett/Shutterstock
A report released by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said that although an official conclusion is not likely to be released for several weeks, Perry’s body is ready to be released to his family, Sky News’ US partner network NBC News said.
The actor was open about his long-term addiction to drugs and alcohol, for which he was in and out of treatment while filming Friends.
The co-creators of Friends, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, and its executive producer Kevin Bright, paid tribute earlier, saying they were “shocked and deeply, deeply saddened” by Perry’s death.
They said in a joint statement: “He was a brilliant talent. It’s a cliche to say that an actor makes a role their own, but in Matthew’s case, there are no truer words.
“From the day we first heard him embody the role of Chandler Bing, there was no one else for us.”
All six key cast members were seen on screen together for the first time since the final episode for Friends: The Reunion in May 2021.
Read more:
The one who made everyone laugh
Tributes pour in for Friends star after his death aged 54
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In New York, adoring yet devastated fans were in tears as they paid tribute to the star outside a building that featured in the US show.
The West Village building was decorated with flowers and messages, with one fan writing “could you be anymore missed?,” a nod to one of Chandler’s sarcastic one-liners.
Streaming platform HBO Max has put an “In memory of Matthew Perry 1969-2023” card before the opening credits of every Friends episode.
Every episode of the show is available on the platform, and the tribute appears for roughly five seconds.
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.
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