Matthew Perry was about to start a new life shortly before his tragic death.
In a sit-down interview with Savannah Guthrie on Today show, the actor’s mom Suzanne Morrison said her son — who died on Oct. 28, 2023, aged 54 from the acute effects of ketamine — was “desperate for a fix” after battling addiction for decades.
“He was talking about, ‘It’s time for me to have a wife and it’s time for me to have kids and I want that,'” Suzanne told Guthrie during an interview with her husband Keith Morrison and their daughters Caitlin, Emily and Madeline.
“A dog running around the house” was another part of the dream her son shared with her, Suzanne said.
Matthew Perry’s family opens up about ‘painful’ inquest into star’s death: ‘It makes you angry’ (Exclusive)
“But he didn’t appreciate the scary aspect of this drug,” she said, referring to the ketamine infusion therapy he was undergoing at the time of his death as a means of treating depression.
According to the autopsy, obtained by PEOPLE at the time, Friends the star has reportedly been clean for 19 months. Five people have since been charged in connection with his death, including two doctors, Jasveen Sangha, known as the “Queen of Ketamine,” and his live-in personal assistant, who allegedly “repeatedly” injected him with ketamine “without medical training.”
Matthew Perry with mom Suzanne and sister Emily during the LA Kings and Canadian Community Tribute to Garnet “Ace” Bailey.
Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
After his death, Perry’s family established the Matthew Perry Foundation, and have since launched the Matthew Perry Foundation of Canada, both of which work to help those struggling with addiction, something the family says Perry is most passionate about.
“I think his biggest push to get sober was when someone came and asked him for help, he would drop everything and do it,” Perry’s sister Emily Morrison told Guthrie. Today.
“No matter where he was in life. he wanted to be physically and mentally well to help people when they needed it.”
Matthew Perry’s stepdad Keith Morrison says actor ‘truly didn’t’ know how much he was loved before he died (Exclusive)
His influence on the community was especially felt after his death.
“After he died, that was pretty much the only thing people came up to me and said… They said the only reason they were sober was because of him and what he did to help them,” he said. is the sister of Madeline Morrison. – He would pay for them to go to rehabilitation.
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For this week’s cover story, Keith, 77, opened up to PEOPLE about his stepson’s final days, during which he “seemed so peaceful.”
“He was always reaching out to hug his family members. He wasn’t the type of person to call and say, ‘God, I love you. I miss you.’ But he did it all the time,” he said Date line said the correspondent.
“You get the feeling that he, I don’t know if he had a premonition, or he kind of accepted the inevitability that he wasn’t going to live as long as some people, and he wanted to embrace those who were important to him.”
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