Matthew Perry's 'Friends' Co-Stars Issued a Heartbreaking Statement After His Death

Matthew Perry's past co-stars, including Salma Hayek, and even his past classmates, which include Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau, have all paid tribute to the actor after his death over the weekend. But, it wasn't until now that his Friends cast mates shared their thoughts. In a statement shared exclusively with People, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer shared that they are "devastated" and stand together as a "family" in the face of Perry's passing. Together, they worked on 10 seasons of the beloved NBC sitcom, during which the show earned Perry an Emmy nomination for Lead Actor in a Comedy in 2002.

"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family," their statement reads. "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," the statement continues. "For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."

Over the weekend, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, the show's co-creators, and executive producer Kevin Bright shared a joint statement. 

“We are shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew’s passing,” they wrote. “It still seems impossible. All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives. He was a brilliant talent.”

In a separate report, People also shared that Max, the service formerly known as HBO Max, where episodes of the show are available to stream, added an in-memoriam message to the opening episode of each season. “In Memory of Matthew Perry,” the title cards read. The text appears alongside Perry's headshot, as well as the years he was alive: 1969–2023. The actor passed away after drowning on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023.