Matthew Perry’s Sister Reveals the Truth Behind Friends’ Wedding Episode

Matthew Perry’s sister, Mia Perry Bowick, has opened up about the heartbreaking reality surrounding one of Friends’ most memorable episodes.

Perry, who played Chandler Bing on the hit NBC sitcom, married Courteney Cox’s character, Monica Geller, during the season seven finale, which aired in 2001.

Bowick discussed the emotional meaning behind the storyline in an interview with People ahead of the Netflix docuseries The One About Matthew Perry, which is scheduled to premiere on October 27.

She said Perry’s substance use had become increasingly severe while he was filming Friends seasons five through seven.

“We all knew how serious his disorder was, so there was this sense of, ‘Who knows what’s going to happen?’” Bowick told the publication.

“Watching that wedding, we all knew he wanted that in life. He wanted a partner, he wanted kids.”

The Daily Mail has contacted a representative for Perry for comment but has not received a response.

Perry had previously disclosed that he returned to rehab immediately after filming the iconic wedding scene.

“I married Monica and got driven back to the treatment center — at the height of my highest point in Friends,” he wrote in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers And The Big Terrible Thing, according to the New York Times.

“The highest point in my career, the iconic moment on the iconic show — in a pickup truck helmed by a sober technician.”

In a previous interview with the New York Times, Perry also spoke about his substance abuse during his Friends years, acknowledging that he did not know “how to stop.”

“I would fake back injuries. I would fake migraine headaches. I had eight doctors going at the same time.”

Perry continued: “I would wake up and have to get 55 Vicodin that day, and figure out how to do it.”

“When you’re a drug addict, it’s all math. I go to this place, and I need to take three,” he added.

“And then I go to this place, and I’m going to take five because I’m going to be there longer. It’s exhausting, but you have to do it or you get very, very sick.”

However, the late actor had explained that he was not doing it in order to ‘feel high or to feel good.’ 

‘I just wanted to sit on my couch, take five Vicodin and watch a movie. That was heaven for me. It no longer is.’

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Perry passed away at the age of 54 on October 28, 2023 from acute effects of ketamine. 

His loved ones and close friends will reflect on the star’s life and legacy in the three-part Netflix docuseries which hits the streaming site nearly three years after his tragic death. 

A trailer was released last month, where his family revealed that Perry spent $7 million trying to get sober. 

Bowick released a statement at the time which read: ‘It’s taken time for me to feel ready to share these memories and what it was like to love Matthew through all the complexity of his life – to see him as a whole person, not just as Chandler and not just as someone who struggled with addiction.

‘As his sister, he shaped who I am today, the person I strive to be and the work to which I’ve devoted my life.’

She added, ‘Matthew had a beautiful heart and a generous spirit, and even in his darkest moments, he could still make you laugh and feel loved. 

‘I hope this series gives everyone who loved him, whether personally or from afar, a deeper appreciation for who he truly was and the legacy he survived by.’ 

The reason why Perry’s Friends castmates will not be appearing in the upcoming docuseries was also revealed earlier this month. 

In regards to Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer not being a part of the project, a source claimed to Page Six: ‘They were reached out to and decided not to participate.

‘Ultimately, the series gives a voice to other friends and colleagues in his life who have memory and love from Matthew.’

Another insider said of Aniston, ‘There’s no way Jen would ever do something like that. 

‘She isn’t going to sit down and start crying on camera. She doesn’t want to relive it and have it be so public.’ 

Perry battled addiction for many years, and the late actor got candid about his struggles in his 2022 memoir. 

The star began drinking at the age of 14 with beer and cheap wine, but his struggles began to get out of control by his 21st birthday. 

Perry had gone to rehab 15 times and attended 6,000 AA meetings amid his battle with alcohol, prescription opioids (such as Vicodin and OxyContin), and later ketamine. 

Five people have been convicted for their part in his ketamine overdose in 2023, including the actor’s drug counsellor, his ‘Ketamine Queen’ drug dealer Jasveen Sangha, and two doctors. 

Perry’s one-time assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, who injected the star ‘repeatedly’ with ketamine on the day he died, was sentenced to more than three years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, resulting in death.