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Matthew Perry's mother opens up about tender moments before his death: EXCLUSIVE

Matthew Perry's mother opens up about tender moments before his death: EXCLUSIVE

2 minutes, 50 seconds Read

Matthew Perry's mother, Suzanne Morrison, is speaking out almost a year after the “Friends” star's death.

In an intimate interview with TODAY's Savannah Guthrie, Morrison opened up about the tender moments she had with her son before his death.

“He went through a time, interestingly enough, just before he died, when he showed me one of his new houses,” she said. “He came up to me and said, 'I love you so much and I'm so happy to be with you now.' And I'm like…' It was almost like it was a premonition or something. I didn’t think about it at the time, but I thought, ‘How long has it been since we last had a conversation like this?’ It’s been years.”

Perry was the only child of Morrison and his ex-husband John Bennett Perry. After their divorce, Morrison married “Dateline” correspondent Keith Morrison and they had four children together. John Bennett Perry also remarried and had a child with his second wife.

Reflecting on her final days with the actor, Suzanne Morrison said: “What was going to happen next to him was inevitable, and he felt it very strongly.”

“But he said, 'I'm not afraid anymore,'” she continued. “And it worried me.”

Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry and his mother Suzanne Morrison attend the afterparty of the 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Governor's Ball on September 22, 2002 in Los Angeles.Vince Bucci/Getty Images

Perry died on October 28, 2023, at the age of 54, after being found in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office, the actor died from acute complications of ketamine. The autopsy report, obtained by NBC News in December 2023, detailed that the ketamine likely caused him to become unconscious and drown, and that his existing coronary artery disease exacerbated the ketamine's effects on his heart.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, ketamine is a “dissociative anesthetic that has some hallucinogenic effects.” Ketamine can also be used to treat mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.

Perry's autopsy report said his last known treatment occurred a week and a half before his death. Over the years, the actor has been vocal about his drug and alcohol use and his struggles with depression.

The autopsy report said Perry was “reportedly clean for 19 months” before he died. It was not specified whether the actor had relapsed before his death.

In August of this year, prosecutors in Los Angeles said Perry used ketamine unsupervised and became addicted. Five people – including his personal assistant, two doctors and a suspected drug dealer – have been charged in connection with his death. Authorities said the five people who knew about Perry's addiction exploited his precarious condition to enrich themselves.

“They knew what they were doing was wrong. “They knew that what they were doing posed a great danger to Mr. Perry,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said at a news conference, according to NBC News. “But they did it anyway. Ultimately, these defendants were more interested in profiting from Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being.”

After the arraignment, Perry's family said in a statement that while they were and continue to be “heartbroken” by the actor's death, it was helpful to know that law enforcement took his case very seriously. We look forward to justice taking its course.”

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