Matthew Perry's Family Reflects on His Battle with Addiction in New Netflix Documentary

Matthew Perry's family and close friends are opening up about the actor's lifelong struggle with addiction in a new Netflix documentary, "The One About Matthew Perry." The three-part series, set to be released on October 27, the third anniversary of his death, aims to provide a comprehensive portrait of Perry beyond his iconic role as Chandler Bing.

In a poignant trailer released by the streaming platform, Perry's sister, Mia Perry Bowick, shared her perspective on her brother's complex life. "It’s taken time for me to feel ready to share these memories and what it was like to love Matthew through all the complexity of his life — to see him as a whole person, not just as Chandler and not just as someone who struggled with addiction," she stated. She described him as having a "beautiful heart and a generous spirit" and expressed hope that the series would offer viewers a deeper appreciation for who he truly was.

"All great stories have comedy and tragedy in them, and that certainly was Matthew's story," Mia said in the trailer. Audio from an old interview with Perry reveals his own early reflections on fame, stating, "I was extremely happy when I got famous. Then it was like, 'Uh-oh. This didn't fix what's inside me." He candidly admitted that fame did not resolve his internal struggles, and despite warnings, he "just didn't know how" to stop his destructive path.

Perry's family revealed that he spent approximately $7 million in his efforts to achieve sobriety. "He spent $7 million trying to get sober. That's how seriously he took his disease," his psychotherapist sister Mia reflected. Perry had entered rehab 15 times and attended roughly 6,000 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings throughout his battle with addiction to alcohol, prescription opioids like Vicodin and OxyContin, and later ketamine.

The documentary, directed by Mary Robertson, features reflections from Perry's friends, including David Pressman and Roger Castillo, as well as insights from former girlfriends and unseen family photographs. The series will explore his rise to fame alongside his "Friends" co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer, a journey that was often overshadowed by his personal demons.

Perry openly discussed his addiction issues, noting in his 2022 memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," how they frequently interfered with his work. He died in October 2023 at the age of 54 from acute effects of ketamine, with drowning in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home also noted as a contributing factor. Five individuals have since been convicted in connection with his overdose, including his drug counselor, his ketamine supplier Jasveen Sangha, and two doctors. His former assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, was sentenced to over three years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine, causing death.