Matthew Perry's pickleball companion shared her own sorrowful account of observing warning signs of his ill health just hours before his passing.
The Friends actor reportedly played a game of pickleball, a sport akin to tennis involving a plastic ball with holes, on the same day that he was discovered deceased in his hot tub.
Matthew Perry's pickleball partner revealed that she saw warning signs before his passing, such as his unusual fatigue
Image credits: David M. Benett / Getty Images
Image credits: NBC
Journalist and cousin of President George W. Bush, Billy Bush, just disclosed on Instagram that the woman who played pickleball with him had noticed that something was amiss.
“Lately his greatest joy was the game of pickleball (he didn’t like the name but he LOVED the game),” the media personality revealed.
He continued: “He played every day and sometimes twice. It regulated his days. I spoke to the woman he played with this morning and every morning. She is in shock, adored Matt… she said he had been fatigued today and over the past week. A little more than usual. He played for one hour then went home.”
"He played every day and sometimes twice," President George W. Bush's cousin Billy Bush revealed on Instagram
Image credits: NBC
Image credits: nbc
Billy took to his Instagram page to share a collage of four headshots of the late actor and captioned it: “Hero to fellow sufferers. I think he won his battle with addiction but it was a Pyrrhic victory.”
The 52-year-old Extra host went on to describe the sad reality that Matthew’s addiction had taken “everything out of him,” but that to his surroundings, he was a person everyone wanted to be friends with.
“And to women… the perfect boyfriend. Everyone had a crush on Chandler Bing,” he added.
Extra host Billy said that he had spoken "to the woman he played with" the morning of his death
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Billy explained that Matthew had “nailed” his role in the 10-year-running sitcom.
“I’m grateful to have known him, admired his courage under the grips of a relentless disease, and will pay tribute in a BIG way Monday,” he wrote.
Image credits: nbc
Image credits: nbc
The 54-year-old award-winning actor was found dead at his residence in Los Angeles on October 28, allegedly due to a drowning incident in his hot tub.
According to law enforcement authorities, responders were summoned through a 911 call at approximately 4 pm local time, following a report of a cardiac arrest.
Upon the first responders’ arrival at the scene, they initiated water rescue procedures as it appeared that Matthew had drowned.
At that point, it was reported that no drugs were found at the scene, and law enforcement did not have any suspicions of foul play.
“I’m grateful to have known him, admired his courage under the grips of a relentless disease," the journalist wrote on social media
Image credits: mattyperry4
In the years leading up to his passing, the Massachusetts native had been open about his challenges with opioid addiction.
His iconic tenure on Friends had been markedly affected by his battles with drug and alcohol dependency, and he had previously struggled with addiction to Vicodin.
Matthew had a history of substance abuse, and spent years battling it, but also advocating for better support for those addicted
Image credits: mattyperry4
Image credits: mattyperry4
The late actor leaves a philanthropic legacy, as he has previously lobbied the US Congress as a celebrity spokesperson for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) in support of funding for drug courts.
According to Businesswire, drug courts reduce drug addiction, crime, and recidivism, and foster rehabilitation while saving taxpayer money.
West Huddleston, the CEO of the NADCP said: “Drug Courts work better than any other justice program, the fact that 75% of all graduates from Drug Court remain arrest-free and out of jail is a number that cannot be ignored.”
In 2013, Matthew received a Champion of Recovery award from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy for opening Perry House, a rehab center in his former mansion in Malibu, California.
Friends fans and admirers alike mourned the loss of the talented actor and were particularly sad to learn he died alone
