Jennifer Aniston is reportedly "reeling" from the loss of beloved 'Friends' actor Matthew Perry, who portrayed the iconic Chandler Bing. The 54-year-old star was found dead in his hot tub at his Los Angeles home on October 28, in what appears to be a tragic drowning accident. This shocking news has hit close to home for his former co-star Jennifer who is no stranger to personal tragedy.
Jennifer, who famously played Rachel Green on the show, has been dealing with the loss of her father, the renowned 'Days of Our Lives' actor John Aniston, who passed away at the age of 89 in November last year. A source close to Jennifer revealed, "Out of the remaining five, Jen and Courtney (Cox) are reeling the most, and Jen is probably the one who is struggling most acutely. She still hasn't fully regained her footing from that, and now this has just completely knocked her off her feet. Despite doing her best to regroup and recover… (Matthew's death has) been a completely devastating blow."
Picture: Friends
At Matthew's funeral, Jennifer reportedly kept to herself, and it was an emotional gathering for the 'Friends' cast, including Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Lisa Kudrow. An onlooker described the somber atmosphere, saying, "She was one of the first to arrive. She kept herself to herself. This is a high-profile gathering."
Matthew Perry's struggles with addiction have been well-documented, and Jennifer had been a steadfast support throughout his darkest moments. An insider explained, "Nobody shed more tears for Matthew during the darkest points of his struggles with addiction than Jennifer." During the Friends reunion in 2021, there were concerns that Matthew might not be able to participate due to his battles with addiction, but Jennifer was determined to have him on board. The source added, "He put in the work and made it a success even though he seemed frail. But Jennifer genuinely thought his worst days were behind him. So his death just two years later has come as a bitter body blow to her."
While the exact cause of Matthew Perry's passing remains uncertain, Jennifer had been dreading this day for two decades. Regardless of whether it was a tragic accident or related to his addiction, she had always wanted to help him in any way she could. The insider emphasized, "It doesn't matter whether he died as a result of a freak accident or whether it was directly connected to his drug issues, this was a day that Jennifer has dreaded coming for 20 years. She always wanted to help Matthew any way she could – that was a constant for her."
In a poignant twist of fate, an interview from 2004 has resurfaced in which Jennifer Aniston expressed her fear of losing Matthew before his time. Speaking to Diane Sawyer, she said, "That he's alright. He struggled, and we didn't know. We weren't equipped to deal with it. Nobody had ever dealt with that. And the idea of ever losing him…" This heart-wrenching statement now holds a haunting significance in light of Matthew Perry's untimely demise.
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