(NewsNation) — Jennifer Aniston has made a rare comment regarding her “Friends” co-star Matthew Perry’s struggles with addiction in the years leading up to his death in 2023.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, the actress said, “We did everything we could when we could, but it almost felt like we’d been mourning Matthew for a long time because his battle with that disease was a really hard one for him to fight.”
Perry and Aniston became close when starring on the hit TV show “Friends” together from 1994 to 2004, along with co-stars Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer.
“As hard as it was for all of us and for the fans,” Aniston told Vanity Fair, “There’s a part of me that thinks this is better. I’m glad he’s out of that pain.”
Perry detailed his co-stars’ efforts to help him battle his addiction in his memoir “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.”
Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry attend the 1995 NBC Fall Preview circa 1995 at the Lincoln Center in New York, New York. (Photo by Ron Davis/Getty Images) 
Matthew Perry attends the GQ Men of the Year Party 2022 at The West Hollywood EDITION on Nov. 17, 2022, in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for GQ) 
Courteney Cox, clockwise from bottom left, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Jennifer Aniston on June 15, 1994. (Photo by Reisig & Taylor/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
In a joint statement released soon after Perry’s death, the “Friends” co-stars said, “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”
Perry was found dead in his hot tub in October 2023. According to an autopsy, he died due to an overdose of ketamine.
Five people have been charged in connection with Perry’s death. Jasveen Sangha, known as the “Ketamine Queen” to her clients, is the highest profile among those charged. Prosecutors said Sangha had operated a stash house and dealt illegal drugs to high-paying clients, including the ketamine that resulted in Perry’s overdose.
Sangha is set to appear in court Sept. 23, according to the Associated Press.