Julia Roberts Reminisces on the 'Devastating' Passing of Former Flame Matthew Perry
Julia Roberts pays tribute to former flame Matthew Perry after his untimely passing, sharing heartfelt memories of their relationship
Matthew Perry and actress Julia Roberts hug each other on the set of “Friends.” Liaison/Getty Images
In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Julia Roberts shared her thoughts on the "heartbreaking" death of her ex-boyfriend Matthew Perry at age 54. "The sudden passing of anybody so young is heartbreaking. I think that, you know, it just helps all of us appreciate what we have and to keep going in a positive way as best we can," Roberts stated.
Perry passed away at his Los Angeles residence on October 28, with the cause of his death listed as "deferred" after the initial autopsy. A toxicology report is still pending.
The 56-year-old star of Pretty Woman dated Perry from 1995 to 1996. Their connection began when he made a significant effort to persuade her to make a guest appearance in the 1996 Friends episode "The One After the Superbowl," where she portrayed a revenge-seeking childhood friend of his character, Chandler.
Roberts expressed her gratitude for the warm welcome she received as a one-time character on Friends, describing it as a fun experience. She also mentioned that she looks back on her time on the show with only positive thoughts and feelings.
In his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry reminisced about the early days of his relationship with Roberts.
"Julia insisted on being part of my storyline for the post-Super Bowl episode in season 2 before agreeing to do the show," he wrote. "I had to work to win her over. I started by sending her three dozen roses with a note expressing my excitement about her potential role. But Julia didn't want conventional gestures - she wanted something more unconventional. In response to her request, I sent her a paper about quantum physics, including wave-particle duality, the uncertainty principle, and entanglement. Some of it was metaphorical, but it was enough to convince her to come on board."
After being impressed by Perry's response, Roberts agreed to appear on Friends, and the two began a romantic relationship. Perry recalled that she even sent him a gift of bagels, and their bond grew stronger. Their relationship had already blossomed by the time they began filming the Friends Super Bowl episode. Despite Roberts' fondness for Perry, he eventually ended their relationship due to his own insecurities.
“Being in a relationship with Julia Roberts had been overwhelming for me. I always believed that she would eventually end things with me,” he remembered. “Why wouldn't she? I didn't feel worthy; I could never measure up; I felt damaged, flawed, and unlovable. So instead of dealing with the inevitable pain of losing her, I ended things with the stunning and intelligent Julia Roberts.”
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Perry had convinced himself that Roberts was “slumming it” with him, adding, “I can’t begin to describe the look of confusion on her face.”
Roberts went on to marry Danny Moder in 2002. The couple welcomed twins Hazel and Phinnaeus in 2004 and son Henry in 2007. Perry, for his part, was engaged to Molly Hurwitz from 2020 to 2021.
