Friends' Jennifer Aniston Pens Emotional Goodbye To 'Lil Brother' Matthew Perry

Jennifer Aniston has shared a heartbreaking post saying goodbye to her former "Friends" co-star and "little brother" Matthew Perry. 

Perry, best known for playing Chandler Bing in the Emmy-winning sitcom, was found dead at his Los Angeles home in late October 2023. He was 54. Perry, alongside the rest of the core "Friends" cast, turned into household names following the show's debut on NBC in 1994. While they've largely maintained their privacy since the show's finale, the "Friends" cast have continued to show support and love for one another throughout the years. Following his passing, the cast jointly penned a statement paying tribute to their on-screen best friend.

Now, Jennifer Aniston, who starred as the bubbly and trend-setting Rachel Green, has penned her own emotional goodbye to Perry. "Oh boy this one has cut deep... Having to say goodbye to our Matty has been an insane wave of emotions that I've never experienced before," Aniston wrote in a tear-jerking Instagram post, which features an adorable behind-the-scenes photo of the two on set. "He was such a part of our DNA. We were always the 6 of us," Aniston added. The actress continued by praising Perry's comedic sensibilities, describing him as someone whose "life literally depended on" making people laugh.

"Matty, I love you so much and I know you are now completely at peace and out of any pain. I talk to you every day... sometimes I can almost hear you saying 'could you BE any crazier?'" Aniston concluded, adding, "Rest little brother. You always made my day..." 

Jennifer Aniston's emotional and heartfelt tribute comes shortly after Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, and the rest of the core "Friends" cast released their own personalized tear-jerking statements. Aniston's goodbye to Matthew Perry is particularly emotional as the actress peeled back the layers of her friendship with the Chandler Bing actor. "In the last couple weeks, I've been pouring over our texts to one another," Aniston wrote in her Instagram post. "Laughing and crying then laughing again. I'll keep them forever and ever. I found one text that he sent me out of nowhere one day. It says it all."

The second image of Aniston's post features a screenshot of a text conversation between her and Perry, where he shared the behind-the-scenes photo of the two together. "Making you laugh just made my day. It made my day :)" Perry wrote to his co-star. It's unclear when this exchange happened between the two. The final slide in the Instagram post highlights one of the most memorable moments between Chandler and Rachel, where the former "tries" to say an emotional goodbye to his friend. 

Aniston and Perry's friendship has always captivated "Friends" fans. In the eyes of the public, the two have always expressed care and admiration for one another. While they've had dozens of wholesome encounters, it's difficult to forget the amount of joy Aniston felt when Perry finally joined Instagram... in 2020. "I'm shocked Matty is the last to join Instagram, considering he was a uh... umm [...] Oh! A computer processing TRANSPONSTER," Aniston shared in a hilarious post. 

Following the finale of "Friends," Matthew Perry continued to praise Jennifer Aniston, consistently mentioning how much the "Office Space" star's friendship meant to him. In his 2022 memoir "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," Perry candidly opened up about his addiction issues, including an instance where Aniston confronted the Chandler actor regarding his drinking on the set of "Friends.". During an October 2022 interview with Diane Sawyer (via People), Perry praised the actress for her efforts, mentioning that she consistently reached out to him following the "Friends" finale. "She was the one that reached out the most. You know, I'm really grateful to her for that," Perry said.

In a 2004 interview with Diane Sawyer (via Entertainment Tonight), Aniston tearfully discussed Perry's addiction. "He struggled, and we didn't know," Aniston said. "We weren't equipped to deal with it. Nobody had ever dealt with that," the actress said, adding "And the idea of ever losing him..." When it comes to empathizing with Perry, Aniston was always vocal about showing her support. While speaking with TODAY in 2021, Aniston discussed the inner obligation that Perry felt to be as funny as possible (something she highlighted in her tribute). "I didn't understand the level of anxiety and self torture [that] was put on Matthew Perry, if he didn't get that laugh, and the devastation that he felt," Aniston said. 

TMZ says that Aniston joined the rest of the core "Friends" cast in attending Perry's private funeral.  

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).