His side of the story. Matthew Perry is ready to clear up all the misconceptions about his life — from his time on Friends and beyond — in his upcoming book, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.
“He wants to recount his experiences, both good and bad, to help others and set the record straight over a number of incidents that were either untold until now, taken out of context or in some cases totally twisted the wrong way and needing complete clarification,” a source exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly.
Perry, 52, became a breakout star as a main cast member on Friends from 1994 to 2004, appearing alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer. Amid his success, though, the actor struggled with drug and alcohol abuse.
The 17 Again star has stepped back from the spotlight in recent years, but he will get a chance to rehash his career-defining role and the bumps in his journey in his memoir, which is set to be released on November 1.
“He’ll delve into his addictions, of course, plus clear up rumors about his feelings for the Friends costars. Plus, he’ll discuss what went wrong in a number of his past relationships,” the insider teases. “It wasn’t always a bed of roses for Matthew on and off the Friends set, and Matt isn’t going to sugarcoat the tougher times that he went through with the cast. He’ll also discuss what it was like at the reunion, both good and bad.”
Perry sparked concern from fans after Friends: The Reunion dropped on HBO Max in May 2021. However, Kevin Bright, who served as an executive producer on the long-running NBC sitcom, told The Hollywood Reporter at the time that the Odd Couple alum seemed “stronger and better since the last time I saw him, and excited about going forward.”
While the Massachusetts native remained silent amid speculation about his health at the time of the reunion, he is prepared to hold nothing back in his upcoming book.
“It’s not going to be salacious or mean, just totally honest,” the source says. “But given the nature of Matt’s life and his experiences, that guarantees this will be an incredibly juicy read!”
Perry gave fans a preview of what is in store in his memoir earlier this month. “So much has been written about me in the past,” he captioned a February 10 Instagram post. “The highs were high, the lows were low. But I have lived to tell the tale, even though at times it looked like I wouldn’t. And it’s all in here. I apologize it’s not a pop up book.”
For more on Perry’s memoir, watch the video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.