The real reason the cast of Friends declined to appear in a Netflix documentary about their late co-star Matthew Perry has been revealed.
RadarOnline claims all five surviving Friends cast members -Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer— were approached but decided against taking part.
Their absence follows the cast’s public tributes after Matthew died in October 2023. At the time, they released a joint statement about losing their friend.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” they said.
Matt also remembered their friendship in an Instagram tribute.
“It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend,” he wrote. “I will always smile when I think of you, and I’ll never forget you. Never.”
Matthew Perry documentary features family interviews
Mary Robertson directs the three-part documentary, The One About Matthew Perry. It premieres on Netflix today (Tuesday, October 27) and features interviews with relatives, friends and colleagues.
Among those contributing is Matthew’s sister, Mia Perry Bowick, who discusses his addiction struggles and legacy.
The title echoes Friends’ familiar episode names, which often started with the words The One.
Matthew played Chandler Bing throughout the sitcom’s run from 1994 to 2004. He reunited with the other five stars for an HBO Max special in 2021.
Matthew died aged 54 on October 28, 2023, after being found unresponsive at his Pacific Palisades home. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined that he died from the acute effects of ketamine.
Jennifer Aniston reportedly wants to keep her grief private
A source quoted by RadarOnline suggested the cast wanted to keep their memories of Matthew away from the cameras.
“Every member of the cast was given the opportunity to be involved, but they all chose to stay away from the cameras. It wasn’t a decision taken lightly, particularly given how much Matthew meant to them. They shared an extraordinary chapter of their lives with him, but there is a feeling that they have already expressed their grief publicly and don’t necessarily want to go through that process all over again for a television audience,” the source claimed.
Another source said that Jennifer Aniston had “no interest” in turning her heartbreak into “something for people to watch on Netflix”.
“The thought of sitting in front of cameras, being asked deeply personal questions and potentially breaking down in tears is simply not something she wants to put herself through. She has already mourned him in her own way and doesn’t feel she owes anybody a public display of that grief. For Jennifer, remembering Matthew is something deeply personal, and she would much rather protect those memories than have them picked apart in a documentary. Her decision isn’t about disrespecting him or the filmmakers – it’s about not wanting to reopen wounds that have taken years to begin healing,” they then said.
ED! has contacted Matt, Jennifer, Lisa, David, and Courteney’s representatives for comment.
Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and then let us know what you think of this story.