New details emerge in death of Matthew Perry as timeline sheds light on Friends star’s final moments

MATTHEW Perry’s body had not been in the hot tub for long before his assistant found him, according to a new report.

The Friends star’s body was not “waterlogged” when emergency services arrived at his Los Angeles home on Saturday, law enforcement sources told TMZ.

Matthew Perry’s body had not been in the hot tub for long before his assistant found him, according to a new reportCredit: Getty

His body was not ‘waterlogged’ when emergency services arrived (seen in his hot tub just days before his death)Credit: Instagram
Matthew was pronounced dead at the scene after firefighters lifted him from the hot tub.

Hours earlier, the 54-year-old had played racquet sport pickleball with a female friend, who revealed the star had felt unwell and “fatigued” for the past week.

He returned home from the country club and sent his assistant on an errand.

His assistant found him unresponsive in the water when they returned and made a frantic call to 911.

The dispatch audio clip, which was only 15 seconds, referred to a drowning – an Emergency Medical Situation 9.

Matthew, who played Chandler Bing on Friends, was believed to have drowned, but sources told the outlet that first responders were scrambled for a cardiac arrest.

His cause of death has been deferred, meaning medical examiners need more time to investigate.

There were no signs of foul play.

Matthew’s body is ready to be released to his family, which means that they can start making funeral arrangements.

Cops swooped on the Pacific Palisades home and no narcotics were found at the scene.

Authorities did find anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and a drug for chronic pulmonary disease.

DEVASTATED FAMILY

Matthew’s family has said they have been left “heartbroken” by the beloved actor’s death.

They told People: “Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend.

“You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love.”

His Friends costars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow broke their silence on his death in a heartbreaking joint statement on Monday.

“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” their statement, which was first obtained by People, read.

“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.”

The note was signed by each of his co-stars.

CLOSE BOND

Matthew had a particularly close relationship with Jennifer, who played Rachel Green on Friends.

After he got over his initial crush on the star, they had a close friendship as she supported him throughout his rehab stints and drug battles.

“She was the one that reached out the most,” he said to Diane Sawyer in an October 2022 interview.

“You know, I’m really grateful to her for that.”

Matthew wrote in-depth about his battle with alcohol and drug addiction in his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.

Matthew revealed he was once taking up to 55 Vicodin painkillers a day during Friends’ third season and was abusing Xanax and OxyContin, also for pain relief.