Matthew Perry Foundation created to help addicts after death

May 2024 · 3 minute read

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Matthew Perry’s legacy will continue to shine on.

Pals close to the late “Friends” star — who died Oct. 28 at the age of 54 from an apparent drowning — have announced that they will establish the Matthew Perry Foundation.

The organization will be formed to aid those battling substance abuse.

“The Matthew Perry Foundation is the realization of Matthew’s enduring commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction,” officials said in a statement to “Entertainment Tonight.”

The charity will continue Perry’s goal of helping people with addiction.

“The Matthew Perry Foundation is the realization of Matthew’s enduring commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction,” the statement went on.

“It will honor his legacy and be guided by his own words and experiences and driven by his passion for making a difference in as many lives as possible.”

A foundation formed in Matthew Perry’s name will be used to help others battling addiction. Matthew Perry Foundation

The Canadian actor struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for much of his life, eventually achieving sobriety in May 2021.

He also formed the Perry House in 2013 in his former Malibu abode, which was a male sober living facility that operated for two years, reported the Daily Mail.

The Canadian actor struggled with drug abuse for much of his life. Getty Images

The “Serving Sara” actor had even hoped to create a charity to help people with addiction before he died, an act that his friends are ready to institute as a way to honor him.

Perry’s substance-abuse issues began when he took Vicodin following a Jet Ski accident in 1997. He then completed a stint in rehab that same year.

At the height of his struggles, he would take 55 of the pills per day, causing his weight to drop to 128 pounds.

In his memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” Perry described his substance-abuse problems at length, explaining that he attended about 6,000 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and went to rehab 15 times.

Perry started to abuse Vicodin in 1997, following a Jet Ski accident. Getty Images

Additionally, he estimated that he spent around $9 million trying to get sober.

Perry explained in 2002 during one his sober periods that he quit drugs because he had a fear of dying.

Telling the New York Times: “I didn’t get sober because I felt like it. I got sober because I was worried I was going to die the next day.”

“Everything’s clear for one split second,” he said at the time. “I realize, I’ve got to go save myself. I got on the phone and called the people who were willing to help me.”

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