'Friends' Star Matthew Perry Slurred Speech Blamed On Emergency Dental Work Not Struggle With Substance Abuse
May 26 2021, Published 11:42 a.m. ET
Matthew Perry's mysteriously slurred speech during the Friends reunion trailer immediately put fans on high alert with many assuming he fell off the wagon.
The 51-year-old actor's slurred speech and noticeably hollow facial expressions caught attention when HBO Max released the teaser for “Friends: The Reunion” special -- which is set to air on Thursday.
Fans of the beloved show also questioned his emotional response to co-star Jennifer Aniston in which he almost broke down in tears.
Perry's strange speech and demeanor were allegedly due to "emergency dental work" -- which he allegedly got right before filming -- and not his struggle with substance abuse, according to The Sun.
“Matthew turned up to the reunion [in April] and members of his team said that he had an emergency tooth procedure that day,” a source told the UK outlet.
"That was said to impact his wellbeing and also how he was feeling," they added.
“He had been in pain from what we understand, which caused the slurred speech,” the insider said.
"Obviously no one wants to film after a procedure, but it happened," they continued. "The feeling was one of huge sympathy for Matthew, especially in recent days given how people have reacted online.
The source also insisted that Perry is sober, despite his longtime struggle with substance abuse.
“Matthew has told those around him that he is sober, and there is no need to worry," they revealed.
Perry has been in and out of rehab several times, once telling BBC Radio in 2016, that he “[doesn’t] remember three years” of “Friends,” adding that it was “somewhere between Season 3 and 6.”
In 2018, the comedic actor spent three months in the hospital after undergoing surgery to repair a gastrointestinal perforation.
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8 years prior, Perry was hospitalized for two weeks for pancreatitis, reportedly in relation to his drinking.
Photos showing him looking disheveled in 2019 also caused fans to worry about his sobriety.
The highly anticipated Friends: The Reunion hits HBO Max on May 27.
RadarOnline.com has reached out to Perry's rep for comment.
