Matthew Perry’s family have spoken out about the actor’s sudden passing as it approaches one year since his death, admitting ‘he had this ability to fill up a room with light’.
Perry’s stepdad Keith Morrison and younger sister Caitlin Morrison spoke to Hello Magazine as they opened up about receiving the shocking news of his death aged 54 and how they’re planning on continuing his legacy in their first interview since he died.
The Friends star was found unresponsive at his Los Angeles home in a ‘stand-alone jacuzzi’, having died from ‘acute effects of ketamine’. He reportedly used the drug as a treatment for depression and anxiety.
Speaking to Hello, Perry’s stepdad Keith admitted that the family were left ‘shattered’ by his death.
“When [Matthew] suddenly died, it was incredibly shocking… anybody who has lost a child will tell you that, even if you are in some way prepared for the possibility, it’s shattering. What we have decided to do is hang on to that determination and try to do something useful,” he said.
“He had this ability to fill up a room with light,” Caitlin added.
“When people were in a room with [Matthew], there was this magnetic energy. Everybody just had a smile on their face and they clung to everything that he said.”
The family are hoping to continue the actor’s work around helping those struggling with addiction by launching The Matthew Perry Foundation of Canada which aims to ‘support individuals in their first year of recovery from substance use disorders following treatment’.
Caitlin, who is the executive director of the new charity, explained that it helps her feel like ‘I’m sitting right next to Matthew, working with him every day on something that was important to him’.
Matthew Perry passed away last year (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
“I have this treasure of getting to keep him very, very close to my life all the time, which is wonderful,” she added.
On the website, Caitlin opened up more about her big brother, saying she ‘will always think of herself as Matthew’s kid sister — a wide-eyed girl who thought (still thinks) her brother was the coolest human being who has ever existed.’
Caitlin’s bio continued: “Like any little sister, she learned a lot from her big brother: how to butter popcorn correctly, how to “edit” a report card, how to perform “Who’s on First” with perfect comedic timing.
“But the best thing he ever taught her was that no matter how many times you fail, you haven’t failed until you stop trying.”
Among the list of ambassadors for the charity are Perry’s Friends co-star Lisa Kudrow and co-creator of the hit sitcom David Crane.
Back in August, police said there had been a ‘broad underground criminal network responsible for distributing large quantities of ketamine to Mr Perry and others’.
Perry’s younger sister Caitlin opened up about his ‘shattering’ death (Matthew Perry Foundation Of Canada)
Earlier this month Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, accepted a guilty plea of one charge of illegally distributing ketamine to the Friends star.
Meanwhile, Salvador Plasencia, a doctor from Santa Monica, has been accused of using the actor’s live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa to distribute ketamine from September to October last year.
Plasencia will stand trial alongside alleged drug dealer Jasveen Sangha, known as ‘the ketamine queen’, next March.
One of the other defendants, charged separately, is Erik Fleming, 54, of Hawthorne, who admitted he distributed the ketamine that killed Perry, according to court documents.
Perry’s live-in personal Iwamasa, 59, of Toluca Lake, conspired with Sangha, Fleming, and Plasencia to illegally obtain ketamine and distribute it to the actor.
He plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death.
