Matthew Perry onstage at the Emmy Awards on September 23, 2012 in Los Angeles.
Phil McCarten/Invision/AP
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Phil McCarten/Invision/AP
Matthew Perry onstage at the Emmy Awards on September 23, 2012 in Los Angeles.
Phil McCarten/Invision/AP
A new foundation has been created in the name of late actor Matthew Perry to support people suffering from addiction.
A statement on the Matthew Perry Foundation’s single-page website, launched Friday, describes its mission as “The realization of Matthew’s long-standing commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction.”
He Friends The star, who died a week ago in Los Angeles at the age of 54, battled harmful alcohol and drug use for decades.
In his 2022 memoirs Friends, lovers and the great terrible thing. Perry wrote candidly about her struggles, as well as her desire to use her fame to make a difference. She spoke of this intention in the numerous media interviews she gave at the time of the book’s publication.
“So I have to take advantage of that,” he told ABC’s Diane Sawyer. “I have to help as many people as I can.”
The Matthew Perry Foundation was launched by the National Philanthropic Trust, a nonprofit organization that works with donors, foundations and financial institutions. It is already accepting donations.
The trust did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for comment.
Celebrities and their families have created other foundations focused on addiction. Melissa Etheridge created the Etheridge Foundation in honor of her son who died of an opioid overdose in 2020. Amy Winehouse’s family established the Amy Winehouse Foundation after the pop star died of alcohol poisoning in 2011. And after Heath Ledger died of an accidental overdose. In 2008, his mother created the ScriptWise Foundation.
On October 28, Perry’s assistant found the actor unconscious in the hot tub of his Pacific Palisades home. The cause of Perry’s death is still under investigation.
Meanwhile, speculation has arisen in the media about the actor’s fortune. According to CNBC, Perry earned up to $20 million a year in syndication fees, largely for Friends. The star was never married, she had no children and is survived by her divorced parents and five half-siblings.
