The death of Matthew Perry has sent shockwaves of grief through Hollywood.
While promoting his best-selling memoir last year, the beloved Friends star wryly predicted that many people might one day be shocked by his death on an emotional level, but not surprised by the news, due to his long battle with substance abuse.
When Perry drowned in a hot tub outside his home on Saturday, many jumped to the conclusion that drugs were involved in his death.
But it’s important to note that nothing in the initial police report indicated that the actor was under the influence at the time of his death.
Now, a new report from TMZ indicates that Perry’s body was free of both fentanyl and methamphetamines when he died.
It might be months before the full results of the medical examiner’s toxicology tests are available, but it seems that two of the most common overdose culprits have already been ruled out.
Deepening the mystery is the fact that Perry was active and appeared to be in good spirits in the week leading up to his death.
TMZ reports that the 54-year-old had taken up pickleball and that he enjoyed dinner with an unidentified female companion on Friday night.
Perry also seemed to have big plans for the future of his career.
He had signed on to act in a movie, and he had at least one idea for a TV show in the early stages of development.
Perry had just moved into his new home three weeks prior to death, and those who know the Friends star best tell TMZ that he was excited about this new chapter in his life.
Earlier this week, Perry’s Friends co-stars issued a joint statement expressing their collective shock and grief at his passing.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” their message read.
“There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”
Friends co-creator Marta Kaufmann says she was similarly stunned by the news.
“He was happy and chipper,” Kauffman told CBS this week.
“He didn’t seem weighed down by anything. He was in a really good place, which is why this seems so unfair.”
Kaufmann added that as far as she knew, Perry was sober and proud to be in his final days.
“He seemed better than I had seen in a while. I was so thrilled to see that. He was emotionally in a good place. He looked good. He quit smoking,” she said.
“Yes, he was sober. He learned things throughout this and what he learned more than anything is that he wants to help other addicts, and it gave him purpose.”
Perry might have thought that no one would be surprised by his death, but it seems that those closest to him are still reeling.
We’ll have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.