Gone Too Soon

Us reveals details of Matthew Perry's final days and the celebrated actor's final wish

- JAIME HARKIN

Hours before his tragic death, Matthew Perry was doing something he'd come to love: playing pickleball. The Friends star who was found dead in his Jacuzzi at his L.A. home on Oct. 28 at the age of 54 - had played earlier in the day and, according to his former coach, Matthew Manasse, had been hitting the courts four to five days a week for the past two years. "It doesn't seem real," Manasse told Us of Perry's untimely demise. Adds a source: "Matthew was keeping a healthy lifestyle. He was [trying to] get back to where he [used] to be. When he was on the pickleball court, he was happy."

By most accounts, Perry had been in good spirits in recent months. Amid a decades-long battle with alcohol and drug addiction - which he detailed in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing - he was working on getting fit and spent most of his time watching and playing sports and hanging out with loved ones. In a joint statement released on Oct. 29, family members said, "We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother. Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend. You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love." As of press time, authorities were waiting on toxicology reports before announcing the official cause of death.