Jennifer Aniston shares an update on her grief journey following the death of her boyfriend Matthew Perry.
Almost three weeks after the actor’s tragic death, Aniston penned a message to her “little brother.”
“Oh man, that hit me hard,” Aniston, who played Rachel Green on Friends alongside Perry’s Chandler Bing, said in her Nov. 15 Instagram post. “Saying goodbye to our Matty was an incredible wave of emotions that I have never experienced before.”
Aniston added that Perry is part of her DNA.
“There were always six of us,” she said, referring to Perry and his “Friends” costars Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer. “This was a chosen family that forever changed our careers and our path.”
Since Perry’s death on October 28, Aniston has been looking back at her text messages with the “Fools Rush In” star.
“Laugh and cry, then laugh again,” she said. “I will keep her forever and ever. I found a text message he sent me out of nowhere one day. She says everything.”
PHOTOS: The Best Matthew Perry Episodes of “Friends”
The “Friends” cast mourns the death of Matthew Perry. Two days after the 54-year-old’s shocking death, his co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer have spoken out for the first time about the death of their close friend.
The text, which Aniston shared a screenshot of on Instagram, included a photo of her and Perry smiling on the set of “Friends.” “Making you laugh just made my day,” he wrote to Aniston under the photo. “It just made my day.”
She replied, “Awww, the first time in THOUSANDS.”
“The Morning Show” actress concluded her note with a message to Perry.
“I love you so much and I know you are now completely at peace and pain free,” she wrote. “I talk to you every day…sometimes I can almost hear you saying, ‘Can you be any crazier?’ Rest, little brother. You always made my day…”
Other warm tributes:
Molly Hurwitz
“He would love for the world to talk about how talented he was. And he was really very talented. As the friends’ reunion approached, we watched the show together again. ‘F–k, I was so good!!!…See what did I do???’ We rewound the scenes and studied them. Our respect and appreciation for humor bonded us. It was magical being with him as he rediscovered his brilliance. But I obviously knew this man in a completely different way. Although I loved him deeper than I could understand, he was complicated and he caused pain like I had never known. No one in my adult life has had a more profound impact on me than Matthew Langford Perry. I am enormously grateful for that, for everything I have learned from our relationship. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Al Anon, an invaluable resource for those who love someone struggling with this devastating disease. Matty, I’m relieved you’re at peace. Moll-o-Rama (…fication).”
Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer
“We are all deeply devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but for now we will take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss. Over time we will say more when we are able. At this time, our thoughts and love are with Matty’s family, his friends and everyone who loved him around the world.”
Bradley Whitford
“Matthew Perry made me laugh. Hard. You haven’t lived until you’ve witnessed one of his intimate, between-take arguments about the absurdity of show business and the idiocy of male self-confidence, perfectly capped off with the sudden realization that this is so.” We were both grown men, theirs Earned a living doing make-up. Without substances, Matt had a huge, open heart and a pyrotechnic, happy brain. I think the best parts of Matt made him most vulnerable to the monster he had to fight for the rest of his life. His fight was heroic. There are no award ceremonies for this. They should. Matt was full of contradictions. He was incredibly self-deprecating and insecure and incredibly confident. He was a source of light with a tremendous capacity for darkness. He was deeply blessed and terribly cursed. I want his parents to know that Matt was kind. Not just to his co-star. To all. In honor of Matt, I hope we can continue the work that was most important to him: We open our hearts to so many who share his vulnerability, we encourage them to get the help they need and give them the To give the love and support they deserve. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Matt, spend quality time with him and most importantly, be his friend.”
Ben Winston
“I feel incredibly lucky to be able to do this reunion show with six truly remarkable people and witness their precious, unbreakable bond with one another. Spending time with Matthew was simply a dream come true. Kind, caring… and a comedic genius.”
Gwyneth Paltrow
“I met Matthew Perry at the Williamstown Theater Festival in Massachusetts in 1993,” Gwyneth Paltrow wrote in a tribute on Instagram. “We were both there doing plays most of the summer. He was so funny and so sweet and so much fun to be with. We drove out to swim in creeks, drank beers at the local college bar, and kissed on a long lawn of grass. It was a magical summer. He had filmed the pilot episode of Friends, but it hadn’t aired yet. He was nervous and hopeful that his big break was imminent. That was him. We stayed friends for a while until we broke up. But I was always happy to see him when I saw it. I’m super sad today, like so many of us. I hope Matthew is finally at peace. I really do.”
Adele
During Adele’s Oct. 28 concert in Las Vegas, which took place just hours after Perry’s death was confirmed, she stopped her show to honor him and remembered the impact he had on her childhood. “One of my friends, Andrew, did the best Chandler impression when I was 12,” she told the crowd. “And he did it all the time to make us laugh. And when someone was having a bad day or feeling bad, they would just pretend to be Chandler. And I will remember this character for the rest of my life.”
Maggie Wheeler
Maggie Wheeler, who played one of Perry’s most memorable lovers on Friends, wrote on Instagram: “What a loss. The world will miss you, Matthew Perry. The joy you brought to so many in your too-short life will live on. “I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared.”
Salma Hayek
After his death, Perry’s “Fools Rush In” co-star Salma Hayek noted that it “took a few days to process this deep sadness.”
“There’s a special bond created when you share dreams with someone and work toward them together,” she wrote in an Oct. 30 Instagram post. “I was very touched last year when Matthew shared on his Instagram stories how much he loved ‘Fools Rush In’ and how he thought the film we made together was probably his best film.” “Im Over the years, he and I looked back on this meaningful time in our lives with a deep sense of nostalgia and gratitude,” she continued. “My friend, you are gone far too soon, but I will continue to appreciate your silliness, your persistence and your beautiful heart. Farewell, sweet Matthew, we will never forget you.”
Ione Skye
Alongside her final text messages with Perry a few days before his death, his former “Ione Skye” co-star wrote on Instagram: “My last exchange a week ago. I am very, very sad. I loved that guy.”
Kathleen Turner
Kathleen Turner, who played Chandler Bing’s parents on Friends, told People: “He had a good sense of humor and a good heart. He liked other people, which is terribly important to me, especially for an actor.”
Shannen Doherty
The Beverly Hills, 90210 star recalled the time she spent with the Emmy nominee. “Matt always had THAT sense of humor,” she wrote on Instagram. “Matt and I went on a date and it was on Valentine’s Day. He wanted to make a reservation at a restaurant in Malibu but couldn’t, so my dad got the reservation for him. We went and he talked about my father’s overwhelming Irish persuasiveness of the night. Our friendship lasted a long time. Actually, a whole life. I know it hurts a lot of people, especially our little gang. He will be missed by many and definitely by us. Yes. I could be more poetic or say things better, but right now shock and sadness prevail.”
Morgan Fairchild
Morgan Fairchild, who played Chandler Bing’s mother on “Friends,” paid an on-screen tribute to her son, captioning a social media post, “I’m heartbroken over the untimely death of my ‘son.’ The loss of such a brilliant young actor is.” “A shock. I send love and condolences to his friends and family, especially his father, John Bennett Perry, with whom I worked on Flamingo Road and Falcon Crest.”
Rumer Willis
The Whole Nine Yards actress, who starred alongside her father Bruce Willis and Perry in the 2000 film, shared a touching tribute following Perry’s death. “I’m so sad to hear of the passing of Matthew Perry,” she captioned an Instagram post. “When I was a kid and I was on set while he and my dad were running all 9 and all 10 yards, he was so kind and funny and kind to my sisters and I, and I think his physical comedy and this movie gets me still laughing.” So much so, I know he had a lot of challenges in his life and brought people a lot of joy with his comedy. I hope he can rest in peace.”
Paget Brewster
Paget Brewster, who played Kathy in the fourth season of Friends, recalled the time he spent on set with the actor. “So sad to hear about @MatthewPerry,” she said wrote on X. “He was nice to me on Friends and every time I saw him in the decades since. Please read his book. It was his legacy to help. However, he will not rest in peace. He’s already too busy trying to make everyone up there laugh.”
Yvette Nicole Brown
Perry’s “Odd Couple” co-star reflected on his legacy and shared a statement on social media. “Our #OddCouple family suffered a great loss today,” she wrote on X. next to a photo with the cast. “The entire entertainment world did this. I’m too saddened by the news to say more: @mattyperry4 was a sweetheart who deserved more peace in this life. 54 is too young to leave. We love you, Matty! #RIPMathewPerry.”
Olivia Munn
The “Violet” star praised the actor for speaking openly about his journey to sobriety following his death. “He struggled so much with addiction and was brave enough to talk about it openly and honestly,” Olivia Munn wrote on her Instagram Story on October 28. “I am so sorry to his family and friends who are receiving this news today. Nothing short of heartbreaking.”