Fans Once Asked If Matthew Perry Suffered a Stroke after a Change in His Appearance and Speech

"Friends" alum and actor Matthew Perry's health has been a subject of concern over the years, with fans suggesting he'd suffered a stroke at one point. The actor has been open about his battle with addiction, which has led to many near-death experiences.

Matthew Perry, who began his career after moving to Los Angeles as a teenager, wanted all the fame and fortunes of Hollywood. The actor hoped that dedicating himself to his craft would help fulfill certain aspects of his life. However, after finding that that wasn't the case, he turned to intoxicating substances.

Perry had short stints in rehab as he sought sobriety, with many instances where the actor feared he would die. His addiction affected his appearance, which would drastically change as it reflected his state of sobriety. This would spark concern and ridicule among his fans as they speculated about his well-being.

After the trailer of "Friends: The Reunion" dropped last year in May, longtime supporters of the show noticed Perry's speech sounded slurred. As was often the case, they took to social media to express their worries about the actor's health. However, the confusion began long before.

Fans Thought Matthew Perry Had a Stroke

In 2016, Matthew Perry appeared on a January 15 episode of "The Graham Norton Show," where he answered some questions about his character, Chandler Bing, on the beloved series "Friends." Fans were delighted to see the well-groomed actor responding correctly to every question.

However, a new discourse began on social media about the actor's speech and facial appearance. Fans began tweeting, suggesting that Perry had suffered a stroke. Twitter user Leanne McLaren shared that Perry's character on "Friends" was her favorite, but she worried about the actor's "slurred speech."

The discourse continued into the following year, with Matt Cowalick inquiring about what was going on with Perry's face and voice. Carina Adly MacKenzie seemed to be encouraging the conversation, asking why no one spoke about the actor's "new face."

Perry hadn't responded to the rumors, but they picked up again when he was confused with another actor, "Riverdale" star Luke Perry, in 2019. On March 1 of that year, The Sun reported that Luke suffered a stroke in his home that morning. The actor was then rushed to the LA hospital.

As the actor was among five people who needed an ECMO machine to survive, he was the only one who lived to tell the tale.

After 2016's speculation, fans were convinced that Matthew's stroke rumors were true as they confused his name with Luke's. However, the confusion immediately cleared up when Luke's representative confirmed his condition, adding that the "Riverdale" actor was sedated and under observation until further notice.

Matthew Perry hadn't confirmed or denied suffering a stroke at this point, either. Still, the rumors arose once more after the "Friends: The Reunion" trailer dropped last year. The media began commenting again on Perry's supposed "slurred speech" and facial appearance.

Some of the actor's supporters came to his defense, as HITC reported, attributing Perry's appearance to aging. Moreover, a Twitter user discouraged the ridicule of Perry encouraged by the media, urging people to stop being judgmental and instead be more respectful.

The confusion cleared once again when The Sun reported that Perry's unusual behavior resulted from a dental procedure that left the actor "unwell and in pain." A source admitted that filming immediately after a medical operation wasn't ideal, but "it happened."

Besides the rumors about Perry's health, the media also insinuated that he had relapsed into his addiction. According to The Sun, a social media user expressed heartbreak after seeing the actor in that state, implying that Perry might have been intoxicated.

However, the insider stated that Perry remained sober, as far as his loved ones knew. Furthermore, Perry still hasn't addressed the stroke rumors. But as far as the public knows, they are untrue.

Matthew Perry Gave Details about the State of His Health

Matthew Perry has a well-documented history of the health scares he endured over the years – excluding a stroke. His cover story with People revealed his progress as a recovering addict. Perry explained the main events that fueled his substance abuse and how they impacted his friends and loved ones.

According to the outlet, Perry's addiction had already begun when he started acting on "Friends." The actor explained that he could "handle it" initially, but it progressively worsened and eventually got the attention of his castmates as his weight continually fluctuated.

Perry expressed gratitude for their patience and likened their support to that of penguins in nature. Still, he lamented how he didn't know how to stop and referred to addiction as a "disease." It landed him in rehab 15 times and led to 14 surgeries.

Regarding his memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," Perry remarked that readers will be surprised at how often he came close to dying as he "didn't leave anything out." However, the actor called himself a "pretty healthy guy now" who has worked hard to maintain sobriety.

Perry also disclosed that he's been seeing a therapist who gave him crucial advice about keeping himself in check. The therapist told him always to picture himself living with a colostomy bag for the rest of his life any time a potential relapse crept, and the actor claimed it worked.

After all, he was among five people connected to an ECMO machine – with a 2% chance of survival – and was the only one who lived to tell the tale. Perry expressed his desire to help others in his position with his story. It acts as a testament that there's always hope for recovery.

Matthew Perry Struggled with His Health for More than 20 Years

Matthew Perry's substance abuse began with alcohol shortly before being cast as Chandler Bing. According to the New York Times, the actor had an "odd rule" to not drink while on the show's set. And yet, he was heavily hungover every time he showed up to work.

What followed was an addiction to pain medication after a skiing accident. He eventually checked into rehab for the first time in 1997, at a Minnesota facility for 28 days. Still, he succumbed to his addiction. In May 2000, he suffered pancreatitis due to drug and alcohol abuse.

By the Fall of that year, Perry tried to "detox" but struggled with withdrawal symptoms while on set. Lisa Kudrow recalled witnessing Perry's condition and was saddened as her friend remained in denial about his problems.

Perry would go on to shoot Seasons 3-6 of "Friends," which the actor said he only retained a hazy memory of as he was "a little out of it." Yet, the actor maintained concentration between hearing the words "action" and "cut." Perry marvels at his resilience throughout the ails of his journey.

He even received the Phoenix Rising Award from the well-known rehab facility Phoenix House in 2015. Sadly, the actor suffered another health scare in 2018 when he had to undergo a medical operation to repair his gastrointestinal perforation. It seems he has since recovered.

However, he was once confused with Luke Perry, who sadly passed on in 2019. After receiving his Phoenix Rising Award, Perry declared that whoever came to him for help with addiction, his doors remained open.

The actor did open his Malibu home for addicts at one point, converting it to Perry House. However, he had to close it down as he reportedly struggled to keep it open after it was relocated.