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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Jamie Roberts

Matthew Perry backtracks on Keanu Reeves criticism and offers star an apology

Matthew Perry has apologised for comments criticising Keanu Reeves.

The Friends star, 53, appeared to take aim at the Matrix actor, 58, in his latest autobiography.

In an extract obtained by Page Six, Matthew wrote: "Why is it that original thinkers like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger die, but Keanu Reeves still walks among us?"

Matthew has never worked Keanu previously, but made the comments while discussing their mutual friend River Phoenix, who died from a drugs overdose in 1993 at the age of just 23.

Matthew wrote in his book Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing: "River was a beautiful man inside and out and too beautiful for this world, it turned out.

"It always seems to be the really talented guys who go down."

Later on, he name-dropped him again as he discussed the death of Saturday Night Live star Chris Farley, who also died from an overdose similar to River's in 1997 at the age of 33.

Keanu Reeves was mentioned in Matthew's new book (Getty Images)
Matthew has backtracked on his comments (Getty Images)

Matthew again said: "I punched a hole through Jennifer Aniston’s dressing room when I found out," before he added: "Keanu Reeves walks among us."

But now, after his words were picked up and raised a few eyebrows, Matthew issued an apologetic statement to Deadline. He said: "I’m actually a big fan of Keanu. I just chose a random name, my mistake. I apologise. I should have used my own name instead."

Elsewhere in the book, Matthew, who starred as Chandler Bing in Friends, revealed doctors had to break eight of his ribs when his heart stopped for five minutes.

He described how doctors desperately attempted to save his life after a mix in medication stopped his heart. He was set to star in Adam McKay's Netflix hit Don't Look Up, but was forced to pull out following the medical emergency.

Matthew Perry's new autobiography is due out (GETTY)

He was lined up to play a Republican journalist in the film and had even shot a scene with Jonah Hill, according to Rolling Stone.

He also spoke candidly about how another instance saw a hospital refuse to treat his exploded colon because of his fame. The actor claimed counsellors at a rehab clinic tried to stop him seeking medical help when his colon exploded because they thought he was trying to get drugs.

Matthew was given just a two per cent chance of survival when an opioid addiction caused his colon to burst and left him in a coma for two weeks.

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