Matthew Perry said he has taken steps to correct a mistake he made in his November memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing” in which he spoke of Keanu Reeves in a negative way.
Perry, who was attending the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, admitted that his reference to Keanu Reeves in a negative light was a “stupid thing” to do and vowed to make it right. In the book, Perry questioned why Reeves “still walks among us” while other “really talented guys” like River Phoenix and Chris Farley had died.
During a panel moderated by Matt Brennan, Perry expressed regret over his actions and acknowledged that he should not have made such comments. He stated, “I said a stupid thing. It was a mean thing to do.” Perry explained that he had edited the book and removed Reeves’ name from it due to the fact that they were neighbors. He added, “I’ve apologized publicly to him. Any future versions of the book will not have his name in it.”
Perry clarified that he had not spoken to Reeves in person but would apologize if he ran into him. He also stated that he had not spoken to Reeves about the change in his memoir. Shortly before the book was published, Perry faced criticism for his comments about Reeves in print.
The “Fools Rush In” actor spent over $9 million battling substance abuse and addiction-related medical issues. Perry pursued 15 stints in rehab and underwent 14 surgeries. At one point, he was taking 55 Vicodin per day, and he was on life support for a brief period and in a coma for two weeks. Writing the memoir was a part of his recovery, and he revealed that the emotions poured out of him as he wrote. Perry stated, “It came pouring out of me — the painful stuff, hospitals, rehabs, all of this stuff — it poured out of me. It went really quickly.”
Perry’s memoir deals with his struggles with addiction and his journey towards recovery. He discussed his regrets, including the negative comments he made about Reeves. Several celebrities, including Rachel Zegler and Linda Carter, came to Reeves’ defense on social media after the excerpts were released. Despite the negative comments made in the book, Perry expressed his admiration for Reeves and stated that he was a fan of his work.