Matthew Perry’s obsession with Batman “wasn’t a cry for help,” says the late actor’s friend who was one of the last to see him alive.
Former Miss Teen USA Athenna Crosby had lunch with the Friends star at the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles on October 27, just a day before his tragic death.
Athenna has now spoken out about Matthew’s final hours, putting an end to speculation that his recent social media posts referencing Batman were subliminal messages.
Matthew died at age 54 after being found lifeless in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home on Saturday.
“Matthew was very sweet and a bit nerdy.” He loved Batman. “He called his car the Batmobile because it was tinted all black and had a matte finish, just like the Batmobile,” Athenna told TMZ.
‘Not a subliminal message’: Matthew Perry’s obsession with Batman ‘wasn’t a cry for help,’ says the late actor’s friend who was one of the last to see him alive
Tragic: Former Miss Teen USA Athenna Crosby had lunch with the Friends star at the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles on October 27, just a day before his tragic death
“He was just a cute nerd”: Athenna has now spoken out about Matthew’s final hours, refuting speculation that his recent social media posts referencing Batman contained subliminal messages
“He’s been calling himself Mattman lately, a nickname he gave himself, and he was really silly and playful.”
“I think people assume that his posts about the Bat-Signal or the fact that he called himself Batman were some kind of subliminal message to ask for help or ask for help – that’s just completely wrong .”
“He was just a cute nerd who liked Batman.” In the book he talks about his love for Batman. “Anyone who speculates that it has something to do with it is going crazy.”
Athenna said she raised her voice “to bear witness to Matthew’s character the day before his death.”
She said: “He was extremely cheerful, he was looking forward to the future and he cared about his health.” The fact that he died was a terrible accident. There’s nothing wrong with that.’
Fans had speculated that Matthew’s fixation on Batman was a cry for help that came after all seven of his recent social media posts referenced the superhero.
The frequent references to the Batman logo led many fans to believe that it was actually Perry’s own Bat Signal, the distress signal used in the fictional Gotham City to summon Batman for help.
Fans suspected that the actor’s posts could have been his own cry for help.
Matthew regularly captioned his posts with “I’m Mattman” – his Batman-inspired nickname.
Devastating: Matthew died aged 54 after being found lifeless in the hot tub of his Pacific Palisades home on Saturday (actor’s latest Instagram post)
He wrote the caption: “No need to worry everyone,” Perry wrote, “I have to hit the streets tonight.”
In another post, he showed the red-lit bat signal with the message: “Sleep tight everyone.” I’ve got the city tonight – Mattman.” This was followed by an image of a sign that read, “BATMAN PLAYS PICKLEBALL.”
Pickleball was the sport Perry was believed to have been playing just hours before his death.
He also posted a video featuring three red berries and wrote, “I had to eat this today.” “I’m Mattman,” as well as a carved pumpkin with a Batman logo hole.
His penultimate post showed the crescent moon in the sky, with the caption: “Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you? – I’m Mattman.”
And in his last public post, he called himself Mattman again as he posed in a pool at night with the crescent moon behind his back, with the caption: “Oh so warm water swirling around makes you feel good?” I’m Mattman. ‘
Superhero fan: In the days before his death, Perry posted seven times with illusions about Batman. Many fans at the time thought it was a cry for help
Days ago: On October 18, Matthew shared another nighttime photo taken outside while the Batman emblem glowed in red lights on his pool
Fixation: One of the star’s recent posts revealed that the Batman movie was being shown on multiple screens
His words: The last chapter – and last line – of Matthew Perry’s memoir was about Batman
Perry previously admitted that he saw himself as Batman – a young, damaged person who used the loss of his parents to become a vigilante who fights crime and has a strong sense of justice to help other people.
He called the superhero a “rich loner,” a description he identified with after starting watching Christopher Nolan’s films in the mid-2000s.
The investigation into Perry’s death is ongoing, but officials said there is no evidence that foul play was a factor.
He is believed to have drowned, but an official cause of death has not been announced.
First responders on the scene revealed that when Perry was found by his assistant, he was found underwater before she lifted his head in a desperate attempt to give him some air.
When the Los Angeles Fire Department arrived at his Pacific Palisades home, the actor was later found to be dead.
This came after a 15-second 911 call came in that revealed the moment his assistant called 911 to report a possible cardiac arrest.
Perry has been open about his past struggles with alcohol and drug abuse, but has said in recent interviews that he is clean and sober.
Perry wrote in his memoirs published last year that he spent $9 million trying to get sober, revealing that he attended 6,000 AA meetings, went to rehab 15 times and detoxed 65 times have.
First responders are said to have found antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications on the property – but there were no signs of illegal drugs.
Family friends had also reported that he seemed “tired” in the days before his death.