Matthew Perry apologizes for ‘Keanu Reeves still walks among us’ putdown in new book
Could he be any more sorry? “Friends†star Matthew Perry has apologized for passages in his forthcoming memoir that put down fellow actor — and beloved internet boyfriend — Keanu Reeves, whom he says he’s a big fan of.
In his book “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,†the 53-year-old actor goes into detail about his decades-long drug and alcohol addiction and its repercussions. He also name-checks several luminary colleagues and friends who died of overdoses during his career, namely the 1993 death of close friend River Phoenix (the “Stand By Me†actor was also Reeves’ best friend) and the overdose deaths of comedian Chris Farley and Oscar winner Heath Ledger.
“Why is it that the original thinkers like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger die, but Keanu Reeves still walks among us?†Perry wrote in the memoir.
From kissing Gwyneth Paltrow to beating up Justin Trudeau: Matthew Perry’s memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,†hits shelves Nov. 1.
Perry, best known for playing Chandler Bing on “Friends,†takes another shot at the 58-year-old “Matrix†star, mentioning Reeves again when recalling the death of Farley, who Perry co-starred with in “Almost Heroes.â€
“I punched a hole through Jennifer Aniston’s dressing room wall when I found out. Keanu Reeves walks among us,†Perry wrote, alluding to his earlier remarks in the memoir.
The excerpts sparked a backlash among Reeves’ fans and prompted Perry to issue a brief public apology
“I’m actually a big fan of Keanu,†Perry said Wednesday in a statement to Deadline. “I just chose a random name, my mistake. I apologize. I should have used my own name instead.â€
Representatives for Perry and Reeves did not immediately respond Thursday to The Times’ requests for comment.
Matthew Perry slurred his words in recent interviews for ‘Friends: The Reunion,’ then quit personalized-video site Cameo. But there’s an explanation.
A number of Perry’s anecdotes have made headlines before the book‘s release, set for Tuesday.
The actor also writes about a near-fatal surgery in which his heart stopped for five minutes because he had taken pain meds before doctors administered propofol for the procedure. He also says that he was put on life support when his colon burst due to an opioid addiction and gossips about “an elaborate makeout session†with his “Sydney†co-star Valerie Bertinelli while her husband, rock star Eddie Van Halen, was passed out a few feet away. (Perry wrote that their marriage was “clearly ... troubled†at the time.)
The “One Day at a Time†star appeared to respond to Perry’s allegations via TikTok on Wednesday, jumping on the viral “Anti-Hero†audio trend kicked off by singer Taylor Swift on Friday.
“Anyone else misbehave in their 20’s and early 30’s? Are you mortified?†she captioned the clip, leaving out Perry’s name and any direct reference to the alleged incident. But commenters on the clip quickly connected the dots.
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