Jennifer Aniston is going into the holidays with a heavy heart this year as she mourns the loss of Matthew Perry and cozies up to her surviving Friends costars and beloved dogs for solace, a source exclusively tells In Touch.
Jen, 55, starred alongside the late actor for 10 seasons of the hit show, in addition to costars David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and Courteney Cox. The cast became close and remained friends even after the series went off the air in 2004.
Matthew tragically died at 54 on October 28, 2023. He was found unconscious in his hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home after an apparent drowning. However, the cause of death was later determined to be the “acute effects of ketamine.”
As another holiday season without Matthew rolls around, the source nots that while “Jen’s always cherished the holidays” as “a special time for her … they’re also a time when she tends to get extra sentimental.”
Over the course of the last nearly three decades, “connecting with Matthew was always a part of her holiday tradition,” the source adds. “They didn’t advertise it, but he’d come by quietly, or she’d go see him.”
The Morning Show star posted a touching remembrance on the one-year anniversary of Matthew’s death, taking to Instagram on October 28 to caption a series of photos, including the actor laughing and cast hugging, with “1 Year” and a link to The Matthew Perry Foundation, which was set up less than one week after his death to fulfill his wishes of helping others fight addiction.
The insider says that Jen and Matthew were so close, that even on years they couldn’t get together, “they’d usually get on the phone and have a good long catch up,” adding, “She could always count on getting a goofy holiday card from him.”
The emptiness left behind by their beloved friend has affected the whole cast, but Jen especially. In his autobiography, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Matthew admitted he actually asked The Break-Up actress out when they first met, but was rejected. As some thing go, their hilarious first impression grew into a deep, meaningful friendship.
“He was just always there, in some way,” the insider continues, “and she looked forward to that. It’s surreal and sad knowing he won’t be. Last year the holidays were so tough, the grief was still so fresh. But the truth is, it hasn’t faded the way she hoped it might. In some ways, it’s almost like she’s mourning him all over again.”
While Jen is grieving once again, an outpouring of love and support from friends and fans alike has been uplifting the actress as the holidays approach.
“She’s counting on her friends and loved ones to help her through, to share in the memories. It’s what’s keeping her steady right now. She feels incredibly lucky to have that support from her close friends. And her dogs are a huge comfort, too. But the loss of someone as important as Matthew … none of that really makes up for the grief she still feels, even a year later.”
