The most scandalous stories from Matthew Perry’s ‘Friends’ memoir

Most people know Matthew Perry from his iconic role as Chandler Bing in Friends. He gave fans iconic quotes, and hilarious expressions, and generally got some of the biggest laughs of the cast. In front of the camera, he was literally the definition of the ‘life of the party’.

Behind the camera, though, Perry’s life was being consumed by drugs, alcohol, and unmanaged mental health symptoms. He was less ‘life of the party’ and more ‘likely to be kicked out of the club.’ It was a situation so sad even his co-stars tried to intervene.

Years later and Perry dragged himself out of the deep hole he’d spiraled into. He’s even released a memoir entitled Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. It’s a revealing look into his chaotic life that reveals just what he was doing after Friends had its final curtain call. Here are some of the moments that’ll have your jaw on the floor!

Tough break

Hollywood is full of glitz & glamor. It’s also one of the toughest industries to work in. Some people, like Lupita Nyong’o & Sarah Michelle Gellar, manage to escape the unhealthy allure of Tinsel Town. Others, though, only get stranger – if they don’t end up down a deadlier path.

Matthew Perry hadn’t even left Friends before he was practically thrown from the edge. One of his book’s most shocking revelations was that at some point he was downing methadone and Xanax with a quart of vodka a day. He was hitting rock bottom when he should’ve been a rising star.

The co-star who finally said something about it? None other than Jennifer Aniston herself. He was shocked when she told him the cast knew he was drinking heavily because they could smell it on him. Her willingness to speak up was just the wake-up call he needed.

Hot for Chanandler

However, it wasn’t all bad news & suffering from addiction for the comedian. Matthew Perry’s reputation as the funny guy from Friends preceded him wherever he went. It meant he was still enjoying the perks of being a celebrity even as his life was secretly in shambles.

Part of that meant meeting his heroes as well as the women he’d grown falling in love with. Perry shares one such memorable story in Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. He’d grown up with a huge crush on actress Valerie Bertinelli, then married rock star legend, Eddie Van Halen.

One night, the twenty-one-year-old ended up making out with Bertinelli while Van Halen lay passed out beside them. He was later crushed when she gave them the cold shoulder. The book passage led to Bertinelli posting a TikTok using the Taylor Swift song “Anti-Hero” to jokingly declare that she was the problem.

No ladies man

Writing a memoir is easy, but getting people interested in it is hard. First & foremost, there has to be an interested audience. More importantly, though, it has to strike the right balance between enthralling and vulnerable. It has to show readers a different side of the subject.

Matthew Perry opens up about everything from Friends to friendship. He’s even honest about lackluster moments in his love life. Bertinelli aside, Perry talks about striking out with Julia Roberts. They started dating after he used a physics essay of all things to get her onto the show.

Then self-sabotage struck. Perry had a gorgeous woman in his arm, yet he couldn’t fathom their relationship lasting very long. So, he broke up with her. He later went on a date with America’s sweetheart Cameron Diaz and she accidentally punched him in the face. Must’ve been karma for breaking Robert’s heart.

Among us

Keanu Reeves is notoriously known as one of the nicest celebrities. From helping others to making wedding appearances, many fans often wonder if he’s even real. The only person more shocked about Reeves’ existence is Matthew Perry from the hit show Friends.

Only where many people wonder, he seems to have obsessed over with an odd amount of rage. Most of what Perry shares in Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is about himself. It’s endearing & intimate in a way that increases his likeability. The slander of Reeves, however, was a big turn-off.

He talks about Reeves’ survival in the face of the deaths of Chris Farley, River Phoenix, and Heath Ledger as an absurdity. It’s especially considering Reeves has expressed fresh grief over Phoenix’s untimely death. Perry discloses many personal anecdotes in his book. This one left us asking: can he BE any more of a hater?

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Have you read Matthew Perry’s memoir? Which of his stories shocked you the most? How did you feel about his not-so-sweet opinions of Keanu Reeves? Divulge your innermost thoughts in the comments below!