LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Matthew Perry's family has spoken out a day after the 54-year-old actor was found dead at his residence on October 28. In an exclusive statement to People, Perry's family said that they are "heartbroken" by his "tragic" death.
The 'Friends' actor had apparently drowned to his death in a hot tub.
"We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother," said his family. They also paid tribute, saying, "Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend."
Addressing fans, they said, "You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love."
According to TMZ, first responders were called to the residence for cardiac arrest, who arrived around 4 pm.
A spokesperson of the Los Angeles Fire Department stated, "An adult male patient was deceased prior to first response arrival. The patient was found by a bystander who had repositioned the victim where the head was out of water" in a freestanding jacuzzi. "Firefighters pulled the victim out of the jacuzzi and did a quick medical assessment to find he was deceased.”
No drugs were found at the scene and investigators are not suspecting any foul play either.
Who are Matthew Perry's family?
Matthew was born to John Bennett Perry and Suzanne Morrison in 1969. The couple divorced less than a year later, and Suzanne married 'Dateline' journalist Keith Morrison in 1981. All three of them raised Matthew.
The late actor has five siblings from his parents' later marriages. He grew up in Ottawa, Canada, with his mother before moving to California to live with his father as a teenager.
Throughout Matthew's struggle with addiction, he received the constant support of his parents. They had rushed to be by his side when he was hospitalized in 2018 after his colon burst due to years of opioid use.
Netizens mourn Matthew Perry's demise
The Internet is still in mourning from the loss of the beloved actor, as the following tweets demonstrate.
"Goodbye, Miss Chanadler Bong; we'll try to keep it down ?"
"My heart it's screaming why so soon"
"All the videos I’ve seen on my TL of Matthew Perry/friends clips I will like the post but I can’t bring myself to watch it. I can’t hear his voice ? Even pictures I scroll by fast, especially recent ones where he’s smiling and looks so happy and healthy."
"It sure does, I was not ready for it to hurt this bad over someone I never met but it did, it does hurt this bad ?"
Fans also posted clips such as the following in tribute to Matthew.
