Categories: Trending now

Matthew Perry’s Mom Tearfully Recalls Her Son’s Death: “I Couldn’t Help Him”

2024-10-28 23:20:03

Matthew Perry’s family is speaking out on the first anniversary of his death in an emotional interview with Today‘s Savannah Guthrie.

Perry’s mother, Suzanne Morrison painfully revealed her frustration with not being to help her son with his addiction struggles. “I’m a very lucky woman. But there was one glitch, there was one problem that I couldn’t — I couldn’t conquer it. I couldn’t help him,” she said.

Perry’s stepfather and Dateline correspondent, Keith Morrison, and three of Perry’s sisters — Caitlin, Emily and Madeline Morrison — spoke with Guthrie about his final days and the foundation founded days after his death to continue his life’s work.

“The Matthew Perry Foundation is the realization of Matthew’s enduring commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction,” reads a description on the foundation’s website.

Perry addressed his intention to help those with addiction struggles in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, saying“When I die, as far as my so-called accomplishments go, it would be nice if ‘Friends’ were listed far behind the things I did to try to help other people.”

“He made it a big focus of his life to help other people, to encourage other people to say, ‘I need help.’ He tried to make people see that that was a brave thing,” Suzanne Morrison said.

The 54-year-old Perry was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office determined he died of acute effects of ketamine. Perry had been undergoing ketamine treatment for depression and anxiety, but prosecutors say the actor had been using the drug unsupervised and had become addicted.

“I don’t even know if in his mind he had relapsed,” his sister Madeline Morrison said.

Keith Morrison agreed, noting “I don’t think he did.”

Five people were charged in relation to the actor’s death, including two doctors and the actor’s assistant, and three have pleaded guilty, according to federal prosecutors.

Suzanne Morrison recalled Perry saying shortly before he died, “I love you so much, and I’m so happy to be with you now,” almost as if it was a “premonition.”

“There was an inevitability to — to what was going to happen next to him, and he felt it very strongly. But he said, ‘I’m not frightened anymore.’ And it worried me,” Emily Morrison said.

His mother continues to be awed by the devotion of her son’s fans, who continue to visit his burial site in Los Angeles.

“Whenever I’m there, there will be people coming to see him — still now. Usually that wears off,” she said. “They leave really lovely letters to him. Like, ‘I felt so sad. You helped me get through my teen years,’” she said, calling his impact on people “just unbelievable.”

She said she has kept all the notes. “I’ll maybe release them sometime, so people can see. But they really did love him, because they could relate to him.”

News Today

Share
Published by
News Today

Recent Posts

Kareena Kapoor’s Next Untitled Film With Meghna Gulzar Gets Prithviraj Sukumaran On Board

Kareena Kapoor is working with Raazi director Meghna Gulzar for her next film. The project,…

2 weeks ago

Purdue basketball freshman Daniel Jacobsen injured vs Northern Kentucky

2024-11-09 15:00:03 WEST LAFAYETTE -- Daniel Jacobsen's second game in Purdue basketball's starting lineup lasted…

2 weeks ago

Rashida Jones honors dad Quincy Jones with heartfelt tribute: ‘He was love’

2024-11-09 14:50:03 Rashida Jones is remembering her late father, famed music producer Quincy Jones, in…

2 weeks ago

Nosferatu Screening at Apollo Theatre Shows Student Interest in Experimental Cinema – The Oberlin Review

2024-11-09 14:40:03 A silent German expressionist film about vampires accompanied by Radiohead’s music — what…

2 weeks ago

What Are Adaptogens? Find Out How These 3 Herbs May Help You Tackle Stress Head-On

Let's face it - life can be downright stressful! With everything moving at breakneck speed,…

2 weeks ago

The new Mac Mini takes a small step towards upgradeable storage

Apple’s redesigned Mac Mini M4 has ditched the previous M2 machine’s SSD that was soldered…

2 weeks ago