JEN & COURT ENEY STRUGGLE WITH REGRET OVER TRAGIC MATTHEW

Following his shock death, insiders say Matthew Perry’s Friends co-stars are in ‘a dark place’ as they support each other

His tragic death at the age of just 54 left millions of fans around the world devastated and his Friends co-stars struggling to find the words to convey their loss.

Matthew Perry – who shot to fame in 1994 playing lovable Chandler Bing in the hit comedy alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt Le Blanc and David Schwimmer – was believed to have drowned in a hot tub at his LA home.

He’d endured a decades-long drink and drug addiction which spiralled out of control during his time on the show and was chronicled in his memoir, Friends, Lovers And The Big Terrible Thing – released just a year ago – in which he admitted to having his first drink at 14 and, at the height of his drug problem, was taking 55 strong painkiller tablets a day following a jet-ski accident.

The extent of his issues – which saw him go into rehab 15 times and attend 6,000 AA meetings – left him with a ruptured colon aged 49, when doctors warned him he had just a two per cent chance of survival.

Although the LA coroner deferred giving a cause of death, those closest to Matthew insist he was clean and sober before he died.

Celebrity friends paid tribute to the tortured star, including ex-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow, who wrote, “I hope Matthew is at peace at long last”, and Selma Blair, who posted, “All of us loved Matthew Perry, and I did especially. Every day”.

DEVASTATED

His Friends co-stars also released an emotional joint statement, describing the depth of their devastation. They said, “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just castmates. 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. In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”

And, an insider tells Closer that his five co-stars are struggling with feelings of regret.

The source says, “Jen went straight over to Courteney’s home in the wake of the news and they’ve barely left one another's side since, as they try to process their emotions.

“In addition to their grief, they both feel an incredible sense of regret – telling friends how they wish they could have done more to help Matty. After the reunion show [in 2021], they’d all agreed to plan a dinner just the six of them, but despite g