Matthew Perry’s death certificate has been released by the Los Angeles Police Department, weeks after the Friends star’s sudden death at age 54.
The actor, best known for his role as sarcastic wise-crack Chandler Bing on the hit NBC sitcom, was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on 28 October.
He was laid to rest the following week, on 3 November, in a service attended by relatives and castmates from the Nineties sitcom.
Authorities have now released the official documents finalising Perry’s death. According to the certificate seen by E! News, the actor was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in LA.
The paperwork also states that his cause of death remains “deferred”. Perry’s cause of death was deemed “inconclusive” after an initial postmortem showed no signs of meth or fentanyl in his system.
A conclusive update is not expected for “four to six months” with further tests currently underway, TMZ reported on 1 November, citing law enforcement sources.
Perry had battled drug and alcohol addiction for years, writing openly and honestly about his struggles and journey towards sobriety in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.
Matthew Perry— (Getty Images)
“Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead,” reads the opening line.
“If you like, you can consider what you’re about to read to be a message from the beyond, my beyond.”
In it, he further recalled how these addictions became worse under the “white-hot flame of fame” and that Friends fans would have been able to tell whether he was drinking or taking drugs from the way he looked.
Following 15 stints in rehab and therapy sessions, he described himself as “pretty healthy” by June 2022 and said he was motivated to help others struggling with addiction.
At the time of his death, Friends creator Marta Kauffman confirmed that he was sober. “He seemed better than I had seen in a while. I was so thrilled to see that. He was emotionally in a good place, he looked good, he quit smoking,” she told TODAY show’s Hoda Kotb in an interview after Perry’s death.
“He was happy and chipper. He didn’t seem weighed down by anything. He was in a really good place, which is why this seems so unfair,” Kauffman added.
If you or someone you know is suffering from alcohol addiction, you can confidentially call the national alcohol helpline Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 or visit the NHS website here for information about the programmes available to you.
If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here.
In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP.
