As Erik Fleming is sentenced in relation to the death of Friends star Matthew Perry, the Mirror takes a look at the sitcom icon’s allegedly strong feelings for his on-screen wife, Courteney Cox
The death of Matthew Perry shocked and saddened people across the globe, many of whom had felt they’d known his most famous character, Chandler Bing.
Friends icon Matthew was just 54 years old when, on October 28, 2023, he died in the hot tub of his LA home. His death was ruled as an accident from the ‘acute effects of ketamine’, and followed many years of addiction to drugs and alcohol.
Despite his difficulties, Matthew remained a source of inspiration for many and was an outspoken advocate for rehabilitation. And he never forgot the five castmates he rose to fame with as a young actor, with one member of the gang holding a particularly special place in his heart.
Now, Erik Fleming, one of the five people charged in relation to Matthew’s death, is due to be sentenced. Fleming, 54, pleaded guilty in August to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine as well as one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. He had initially been due for sentencing on October 30, but this date was delayed.
Those who knew Matthew best will no doubt be recalling happier times with the gifted actor, remembered for his comic timing and magic onscreen chemistry with Courteney Cox, who played his onscreen wife. Poignantly, it’s been reported that Matthew’s love for Courteney were real both on and off the script.
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During their time together on the wildly popular sitcom, Matthew allegedly harboured strong feelings for Courteney, who was at that point in a relationship with her Scream co-star David Arquette. Sadly, it was reported he was never “able to get over her”.
Speaking with US Weekly in 2022, sources claimed: “Matthew’s always been in love with her. Matthew has never fully been able to get over her.” However, things remained strictly platonic between the pair, with the castmates making sure their close friendships never crossed over into romantic territory, unlike their fictional counterparts.
Opening up to Access in 2021, Matthew revealed that director Jim Burrows had implemented a “no hookup rule”. He explained: “There was a rule that we had, it was really important to the six of us, that we kept a friendship, that we were friends.”
In his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big, Terrible Thing, Matthew spoke fondly of Courteney, who he described as “cripplingly beautiful”. Making sure to include heartfelt messages to his fellow Friends alumni, Matthew also thanked Courteney “for making America think that someone so beautiful would marry a guy like me”.
In an Instagram statement following Matthew’s passing, Courteney paid tribute to her ‘funny’ and ‘kind’ co-star, and shared one of her fondest memories of their time working together. Courteney wrote: “I am so grateful for every moment I had with you, Matty, and I miss you every day. When you work with someone as closely as I did with Matthew, there are thousands of moments I wish I could share. For now, here’s one of my favourites.”
She continued: “To give a little backstory, Chandler and Monica were supposed to have a one-night fling in London. But because of the audience’s reaction, it became the beginning of their love story. In this scene, before we started rolling, he whispered a funny line for me to say. He often did things like that. He was funny and he was kind.”
Marking a year since his death, the actress posted on Instagram, “Missing you today and always,” alongside photos of the pair. Courteney and her former husband, David, whom she married in 1999, split in October 2010, and, as of 2013, the actress has been in a relationship with Snow Patrol guitarist Johnny McDaid, whom she met through mutual friend Ed Sheeran.
Speaking with NBC’s Today programme back in October, to mark the one-year anniversary of Matthew’s death, his family spoke of how he’d hoped to marry and have children of his own – a dream that never came to fruition. His sister, Emily Morrison, poignantly stated that all her famous brother “really wanted to do was to love and be loved”.
Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com.
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Source: Mirror
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