Matthew Perry’s family is speaking out about the foundation launched in honor of the late actor, following his sudden death last month.
The “Friends” star’s family released a statement Monday, following the Nov. 3 founding of the Matthew Perry Foundation, which aims to help those battling substance abuse as the late actor did.
“It is important to us as a family to honor Matthew’s legacy,” read the statement sent to Entertainment Tonight ahead of Giving Tuesday.
“The potential that the Matthew Perry Foundation has to help those suffering with this disease is something we are proud to bring to the world,” the family continued.
“Dateline” correspondent Keith Morrison, the actor’s stepfather, took to X (formerly Twitter), imploring his followers to donate “what you can” to the foundation.
“This is not the sort of thing I commonly do, this pitch. But this year is different. And tomorrow is Giving Tuesday. Do what you can; he would have been grateful,” Morrison shared with a link to the foundation.
Perry was found dead in his hot tub on Oct. 28 at age 54. Though the beloved actor had been candid about his addiction journey, those close to the actor said he was happy and sober in the weeks and days leading up to his sudden passing. No illicit substances were found at the scene.
An autopsy has already been performed, with his cause of death listed as deferred pending toxicology reports. Results are expected to take anywhere from six weeks to six months.
In his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” Perry shared that he wanted, more than anything, to be remembered for helping those battling addiction.
“The best thing about me, bar none, is if somebody comes up to me and says, ‘I can’t stop drinking, can you help me?’ I can say yes and follow up and do it,” he told Q with Tom Power last November. “I don’t want ‘Friends’ to be the first thing that’s mentioned. I want that to be the first thing that’s mentioned, and I’m going to live the rest of my life proving that.”
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