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Matthew Perry, 53, is releasing his new memoir next week which divulges his most personal Hollywood experiences, battles, and opinions, one of which shocked fans. However, the actor has since apologised and claimed he simply misspoke
Matthew’s memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, follows his rise to fame on the hit nineties sitcom and his life beyond the iconic Chandler Bing.
Ahead of his book’s release, a few excerpts have been published, from relationship struggles, to his painkiller addiction and who helped him through it, and the star has seemingly left it all in the pages.
However, one section left fans absolutely shocked as the actor seemingly blasted Keanu Reeves, 58, despite never having worked with him.
Extracts from Matthew’s memoir, shared by Page Six, revealed: “Why is it that the original thinkers like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger die, but Keanu Reeves still walks among us?”
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Australian actor Heath Ledger, best known for his iconic portrayal of Batman villain The Joker, died in 2008 at the age of 28 after accidentally overdosing on prescription medication.
Similarly, River Phoenix, the older brother of latest Joker actor Joaquin Phoenix, died at the age of 23 due to a reported drug overdose in 1993.
Both actors were revered for their talent and how much they accomplished in their short lives, and Matthew had worked with River in his first-ever film role in 1988.
Matthew seemed to take another dig at Keanu in his memoir, referring to the late actor Chris Farley, who died of an overdose in 1997 just after he and the Friends actor had starred together in Almost Heroes.
The 17 Again actor recalled finding out about his friend’s death, writing: “I punched a hole through Jennifer Aniston’s dressing room wall when I found out. Keanu Reeves walks among us.”
The statements caused a frenzy on social media as fans and Hollywood celebrities rushed to defend Keanu, who is notoriously known for being one of the few gentlemen in the entertainment industry.
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In a statement to People in the aftermath of the outrage, Matthew insisted that he has no ill intent or feelings towards the Matrix actor, but that the quote had been misinterpreted and he claimed full responsibility.
He said: “I’m actually a big fan of Keanu. I just chose a random name, my mistake. I apologize. I should have used my own name instead.”
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His autobiography also gives fans a never-before-seen angle on Matthew’s struggles with addiction while still on the Friends set.
The Independent reported that in his memoir, Matthew claims at the height of his addiction, he was taking 55 painkillers to get through a single day of filming Friends.
In an interview to promote his new book, Matthew told People that at one point, he was given a two percent chance of survival.
He revealed that his colon burst when he was 49 due to his consistent opioid overuse.
As a result, the actor spent months in hospital, and even two weeks in a coma, and had to use a colostomy bag for nine months following his brush with death.
Although his battle with addiction had not been a secret, Matthew explained that he needed to know he was “safely sober” before opening up about the situation.
Matthew experienced multiple stints in rehab, two during the filming of Friends, and noted he’s spent roughly $9million (£7.7million) trying to get sober.
Express.co.uk has contacted Keanu Reeves’ and Matthew Perry’s representatives for comment.
Matthew’s memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, is available for pre-order here.
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