Matthew Perry Walks Back On Shading Keanu Reeves In His Memoir
Matthew Perry's coming clean about his battle with drug and alcohol addiction in his upcoming memoir "Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing," which will hit bookstores on November 1. Ahead of the release, Perry has spoken to multiple outlets about his struggles. Perry told The New York Times, "I've probably spent $9 million or something trying to get sober," and on ABC News, he spoke to Diane Sawyer about his recovery. He said, "Your disease is just outside, just doing one arm push-ups, just waiting just, waiting for you, waiting to get you alone because alone you lose to the disease. And now I finally feel okay and feel like I've got some strength."
There are a plethora of other revelations in his book — like Perry's crush on one of his "Friends" co-stars and his feelings for actor Valerie Bertinelli. But there's one actor whom Perry targets, and it has stirred up quite a bit of controversy. However, Perry did admit he crossed the line.
Matthew Perry said he's 'a big fan of Keanu'
In "Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing," Matthew Perry calls out Keanu Reeves by comparing him to various late actors. According to Variety, Perry writes, "It always seems to be the really talented guys who go down. Why is it that the original thinkers like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger die, but Keanu Reeves still walks among us?" Perry brings Reeves up again when talking about the death of comedian Chris Farley. "His disease had progressed faster than mine had. (Plus, I had a healthy fear of the word 'heroin,' a fear we did not share)," Perry notes. "I punched a hole through Jennifer Aniston's dressing room wall when I found out. Keanu Reeves walks among us." So, why is Perry picking on Reeves in particular? According to The Hollywood Reporter, Perry has not even starred in any films or television shows with Reeves.
Perry subsequently expressed regret, sharing a statement with Deadline regarding his remarks about Reeves. The statement says, "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." At this time, Reeves hasn't publicly responded to Perry's comments.