Mia Perry, the younger half-sister of the late Friends actor Matthew Perry, has spoken openly about her brother’s battle with addiction. Now, she has revealed what she wishes she had understood about his condition earlier.
Matthew Perry’s sister recalls having ‘no nuance’ on his battle with addiction initially
Matthew Perry’s sister, Mia Perry Bovick, and Mary Robertson, director of the new documentary series The One About Matthew Perry, appeared on TODAY. They discussed the late Friends star’s life and the stories revealed through previously unseen footage and interviews. During the conversation, Mia reflected on her limited understanding of substance use disorder when her brother first discussed his struggles.
Mia recalled her limited understanding of addiction when Matthew first opened up about his experiences, referring to the information she had received through the D.A.R.E. program.
“It’s very black and white, if you use a drug, you’re going to die. Very black and white, no nuance.
I wish we really understood the nuance, we understood it was a disease. When you think about it from the disease perspective, it’s a lot easier to understand why they can’t stop and easier for the families to not take it personally why they can’t stop,” she added.
Matthew Perry, best known for playing Chandler Bing on the popular TV show Friends, died on October 28, 2023, at the age of 54. He was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined that Perry died from the acute effects of ketamine, with drowning listed as a contributing factor. The 17 Again actor struggled with addiction for decades and later spoke publicly about his experiences, including in his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.
