Matthew Perry's Sister Reveals Pain Over Watching Star's Wedding on 'Friends' — 'We All Knew He Wanted That in Life'
Matthew Perry's sister has revealed her pain watching the late star's wedding on 'Friends.'
Oct. 21 2026, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Matthew Perry's sister has described the pain of watching the late actor’s wedding scene in Friends, admitting she feared the TV nuptials would be the closest he would get to marrying in real life, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Mia Perry Bowick opened up about the star’s desire to have a family in a new interview, three years after his death.
'Who Knows What's Going to Happen'
Perry's sister feared for her brother's future due to drug issues.
But she claims his well-publicized drug issues meant they knew deep down he may not get his wish, which turned out to be a reality following his tragic passing at the age of 54 from the acute effects of ketamine.
On seeing Perry marry Courteney Cox's character Monica Geller in the hit sitcom, Bowick told a publication: "When we saw that wedding, we all knew that he had wanted that in life; he wanted a partner, and he wanted children."
She added: "We all knew how serious his disorder was, so there was this sense of, 'Who knows what's going to happen?'"
Matthew Perry Headed Back to Sober House After TV Wedding
Perry was struggling with his addiction during filming of nuptials with on-screen wife Courteney Cox.
Cox and Perry's characters got married during the Season 7 finale of the hit show, which aired in 2001.
Perry revealed in his 2022 book, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, that he was immediately "driven back to the treatment center … in a pickup truck helmed by a sober technician" after the wedding scene wrapped.
He also wrote about his struggles during filming and how viewers could see where he was in the throes of his addiction based on his weight.
"When I’m carrying weight, it's alcohol; when I'm skinny, it's pills. When I have a goatee, it's lots of pills," he wrote, adding that by the end of the third season, he was trying to obtain 55 Vicodin a day – otherwise he'd get "so sick."
Staggering Cost of Addiction Treatment Revealed
Perry's sister claims he spent $10million trying to get clean.
Perry spent a staggering near $10million trying to overcome the addiction that plagued much of his life.
Bowick makes the revelation in The One About Matthew Perry, a three-part Netflix documentary examining the Friends star's rise to global fame, private struggles, and legacy, which will premiere on October 27.
Bowick says in the show: "My brother would talk about that feeling of emptiness or loneliness that he couldn't quite fill. He spent $7million trying to get sober. That's how seriously he took his disease."
The figure provides a stark new indication of the lengths Perry went to while attempting to overcome his dependence on drugs and alcohol.
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Perry played Chandler Bing in 'Friends' for 10 seasons.
His role as Chandler in Friends, which ran for 10 seasons between 1994 and 2004, made him one of television's biggest stars. But Bowick said performing also provided her brother with an emotional outlet during his struggles.
She added in a teaser for the show: "When he made people laugh, it made him feel good."
Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home on October 28, 2023.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner subsequently ruled that he died from the acute effects of ketamine, with drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine listed as contributing factors.
His death was ruled accidental.
