Matt LeBlanc has finally spoken out following the death of “Friends” co-star Matthew Perry.
The 56-year-old actor took to Instagram Tuesday to address the loss of Perry, who died in an apparent drowning on Oct. 28 at the age of 54.
“It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life,” LeBlanc said in a note addressed to “Matthew” alongside personal and show images.
“It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend.”
LeBlanc, 56, added that he’ll “always smile” when thinking of Perry and insisted, “I’ll never forget you. Never.”
“Spread your wings and fly brother you’re finally free. Much love.”
And in true LeBlanc fashion, the “Joey” alum ended his tribute with a joke: “And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me.”
LeBlanc and Perry starred on the hit NBC sitcom together for 10 years as Joey and Chandler, respectively, and — just like their characters on the show — were good friends in real life.
During a 2015 interview with People, LeBlanc said that Perry was like his “little brother.”
While LeBlanc admitted the following year that he didn’t see Perry often, he claimed that was what made their relationship so special.
“I love that guy!” he said of the “Odd Couple” star. “I can not see him for five years and then get in a room together and still have that shorthand with each other. It’s amazing, really.
“Ten years in a building with no windows and the doors locked, we got to know each other pretty well.”
Perry’s decades-long battle with addiction started just three years after the pair began working together.
Read more about Matthew Perry’s life and struggles:
- 55 Vicodin & a quart of vodka: The most shocking tales from Matthew Perry’s tell-all memoir
- Matthew Perry: How to tell which drugs I used during ‘Friends’
- Matthew Perry reveals why he broke up with Julia Roberts in the ’90s
- Matthew Perry claims Cameron Diaz once punched him in the face on secret date
- Matthew Perry, Valerie Bertinelli made out while Eddie Van Halen was passed out
The “Fools Rush In” star ended up going to rehab twice during the sitcom’s run from 1994 to 2004.
In fact, he revealed last year that his castmates confronted him about his addiction at the height of his career, forcing him to enter treatment.
While his struggles took a toll on his relationships, all six of the main “Friends” stars got together in 2021 for a reunion — which was seemingly the last time they were all in the same room.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed Perry’s death after TMZ reported that his assistant had found him in a jacuzzi at his home.
The actor had reportedly spent two hours playing pickleball earlier in the day.
Upon arriving at Perry’s house and finding him unresponsive, the assistant called 911.
First responders rushed to the residence shortly after 4 p.m. and pronounced the star dead.
No drugs were found at the scene, and law enforcement does not believe there was foul play.
