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Comedian Kevin Brennan has sparked disgust by celebrating Friends star Matthew Perrys sudden death — even writing, I do love it when junkies die.

The former Saturday Night Live writer wrote a series of messages soon after news broke of the beloved actors death on Saturday,

DROWNED IN A HOT TUB. HAHAHAHA,” Brennan initially wrote on X.

Asked Why is drowning in a hot tub funny? Brennan replied, Because its not very deep.

The podcaster then defended his remarks after TMZ published a story about them.

I didnt mock it, he said, sharing the TMZ story. I just thought it was funny.

But I do love it when junkies die. 7 Former “Saturday Night Live” writer Kevin Brennan mocked “Friends” star Matthew Perry’s death over the weekend.WireImage

Brennan, 63, who hosts the Misery Loves Company podcast, has since been receiving backlash online though he has seemed to revel in the controversy, asking Sunday, Am I trending yet?

One X user called him a p–ck in response to his callousness about Perry’s death, writing, I hope you are never affected by this insidious disease.

But Brennan simply reposted the comment, writing: Sounds like fun. 7 Brennan, who hosts the Misery Loves Company podcast, laughed at the news Perry had died in his jacuzzi.@mlcpodcast / X

Another user also wrote to Brennan, I will never understand the mindset of someone who posts st like this.

I wish you well, because you must be sick, the X user wrote, to which Brennan replied, Thank you.

And when a third tweeted to Brennan, Remind me to laugh at you when its your turn, he wrote back, Ill probably forget. 7 When one X user asked him why he thought Perry’s death was funny, Brennan said “Because [a hot tub’s] not very deep.”@mlcpodcast / X

Meanwhile, Brennans former show, Saturday Night Live, paid tribute to the beloved Friends actor just hours after he died.

During the NBC sketch series, a black and white photo of the actor and his name appeared on the screen.

Perry, 54, was found dead in the jacuzzi of his home in the ritzy Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles just after 4 p.m. on Saturday. 7 Brennan seemed to revel in the criticism he received for his tweet, asking on Sunday, “Am I trending yet?”@mlcpodcast / X

Law enforcement sources told TMZ that first responders rushed to the address after a call reporting a cardiac arrest. Its currently unclear who phoned 911.

The sources said no drugs were found at the scene and no foul play is suspected.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiners Office confirmed to The Post on Sunday that an autopsy for the late star has been completed. However, the doctor has ordered more testing, including toxicology, which could take a few months.

The cause of death is deferred. 7 Perry, 54, was found dead in the jacuzzi of his home in the ritzy Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles just after 4 p.m. on Saturday.Getty Images

Perry who was not married and had no children had a long history of drug and alcohol abuse.

He opened up about his decades-long battle with addiction in a memoir titled Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, which was published last year.

Perry went to rehab 15 times and had undergone 14 surgeries to try and mitigate the damage done to his stomach lining due to alcohol and opioid use. 7 Law enforcement sources told The Post no drugs were found at the scene.WFLA

The actor claimed that he almost died in 2018 due to a gastrointestinal perforation. He spent two weeks in a coma and five months in the hospital. He also had to use a colostomy bag for nine months.

The doctors told my family that I had a 2 percent chance to live, Perry stated during a promotional interview for his book last year. I was put on a thing called an ECMO machine, which does all the breathing for your heart and your lungs. And thats called a Hail Mary. No one survives that.

Last year, Perry claimed he had spent close to $9 million getting sober over the years and finally triumphed. The star had been drug and alcohol-free since May 2021. 7 Perry is best known for his role as Chandler on “Friends,” but said he wants to be remembered for the work he has done trying to help others with addiction.Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

In a promotional interview for his book last year, Perry said he would like to be remembered as somebody who lived well, loved well, was a seeker. And his paramount thing is that he wants to help people.

Thats what I want.

The best thing about me, bar none, is that if somebody comes to me and says, I cant stop drinking, can you help me? I can say yes and follow up and do it, he added, noting that is how he wants to be remembered.

When I die, I dont want Friends to be the first thing thats mentioned, Perry said. I want that to be the first thing thats mentioned. And Im gonna live the rest of my life proving that. 

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Entertainment

Broadcaster John Stapleton has died aged 79

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Broadcaster John Stapleton has died aged 79

Broadcaster John Stapleton has died, his agent has said.

The 79-year-old, who had Parkinson’s disease complicated by pneumonia, died peacefully in hospital this morning.

Stapleton was known for his work on programmes such as Newsnight, Panorama and GMTV’s News Hour. He was among Sky News’ original presenters.

Stapleton’s agent, Jackie Gil, said: “His son Nick and daughter-in-law Lisa have been constantly at his side and John died peacefully in hospital this morning.”

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

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US

Luigi Mangione’s lawyers call on judge to block the death penalty

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Luigi Mangione's lawyers call on judge to block the death penalty

Lawyers for Luigi Mangione have called on a judge to block federal prosecutors from seeking the death penalty against him.

Mangione’s legal team says the 27-year-old’s case has been turned into a “Marvel movie” after a failed bid by the US Justice Department to indict him on terrorism charges over the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson in New York on 4 December.

New York state judge Gregory Carro said there was no evidence that the killing, which took place as Mr Thompson walked into an investor conference at the New York Hilton Midtown hotel, amounted to a terrorist act.

But Judge Carro upheld second-degree murder charges, which suggest there was malicious intent – but not that it was premeditated.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi has called for Mangione to face capital punishment, describing the charges against him as a “premeditated cold-blooded assassination that shocked America”.

But in the new court filing, Mangione’s legal team argues federal prosecutors have “violated Mr Mangione’s constitutional and statutory rights” by “staging a dehumanizing, unconstitutional ‘perp walk’ where he was televised, videotaped, and photographed clambering out of a helicopter in shackles” on the way to his first court appearance.

The legal team, led by former Manhattan prosecutor Karen Friedman Agnifilo, also claims the death penalty case has been “fatally prejudiced” after President Donald Trump commented on it on Fox News.

Despite laws that prohibit any pre-trial commentary that could prejudice the defendant’s right to a free trial, he told the network on Thursday: “Think about Mangione. He shot someone in the back, as clear as you’re looking at me or I’m looking at you.”

Read more from Sky News
Trump throws out New York Times lawsuit
Free speech warning after Kimmel taken off air
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UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson.
Pic: UnitedHealth Group/AP
Image:
UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson.
Pic: UnitedHealth Group/AP

The defence team’s 114-page court filing reads: “There is a high bar to dismissing an indictment due to pretrial publicity.

“However, there has never been a situation remotely like this one where prejudice has been so great against a death-eligible defendant.”

Federal prosecutors have until 31 October to respond to the documents.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all the state charges against him, which cannot result in the death penalty and only life imprisonment, unlike federal ones. He has also pleaded not guilty to the federal charges.

He is due back in court for a pre-trial hearing in the state case on 1 December and the federal case on 5 December.

The 27-year-old was arrested five days after Mr Thompson was killed – when he was spotted at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, around 230 miles west of New York City.

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UK

British fighter jets defend Polish skies after Russian drone incursion

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British fighter jets defend Polish skies after Russian drone incursion

Two British fighter jets have flown their first defence mission over Poland after a Russian drone incursion into the country’s skies.

The flight was part of NATO‘s operation “Eastern Sentry”, launched to bolster Europe’s eastern flank after Poland shot down Russian drones earlier this month.

A Russian drone was intercepted flying over Romania days later, while three Russian jets entered Estonian airspace without permission for 12 minutes on Friday.

One of three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets in images shared by Sweden's armed forces. Pic: Swedish Armed Forces
Image:
One of three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets in images shared by Sweden’s armed forces. Pic: Swedish Armed Forces

The three incursions into NATO airspace fuelled concerns about the potential expansion of Russia‘s three-year war in Ukraine and have been seen as an attempt by Moscow to test the military alliance’s response.

The incident over Poland prompted its prime minister, Donald Tusk, to warn that his country was the closest to “open conflict” it had been since the Second World War, while the UK announced it would provide Warsaw with extra air cover.

Two RAF Typhoons, supported by an RAF Voyager air-to-air refuelling plane, took off from RAF Coningsby, in Lincolnshire, on Friday night to defend Poland’s skies before returning safely early on Saturday morning.

A Gerbera drone landed in a field in the Olesno region of Poland
Image:
A Gerbera drone landed in a field in the Olesno region of Poland

Defence Secretary John Healey said the mission sends a clear signal that “NATO airspace will be defended”.

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“I’m proud of the outstanding British pilots and air crew who took part in this successful operation to defend our allies from reckless Russian aggression.”

He said the mission was “especially poignant” coming as the UK marks the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain – when Polish pilots came to the aid of the UK – this weekend.

The head of the RAF, Air Chief Marshal Harv Smyth, said: “This sortie marks the RAF’s first operational mission on Eastern Sentry, reinforcing the UK’s steadfast commitment to NATO and its allies.

“We remain agile, integrated, and ready to project airpower at range.”

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