It’s been eight months since Matthew Perry passed away, and his Friends co-stars are still trying to navigate their grief. Jennifer Aniston, who was reportedly the person closest to him from the cast, is struggling with the loss, but she’s so lucky to have someone by her side, her BFF Courteney Cox.
With new reports about a DEA investigation into the source of Perry’s ketamine supply, the headlines are “making the pain that much worse,” according to a Closer Weekly source. “Courteney is really stepping in to try and support Jen and boost her up.” Aniston’s grief was on display in a recent Variety‘s Actors on Actors episode with Quinta Brunson when the Abbott Elementary star asked her “what it’s like to watch Friends now.” She quickly welled up with tears, and responded, “Oh God, don’t make me cry.” Brunson sweetly assured her that they could move on to another topic, but Aniston promised, “No, I’m OK. It’s happy tears.”
FRIENDS, from left: Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, ‘The One With The Embryos’, (Season 4, ep. 412, aired Jan. 15, 1998), 1994-2004.©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
Aniston and Perry’s friendship was off the pop culture radar because he didn’t necessary hang around her tight circle of pals which includes Cox, Jason Bateman, Jimmy Kimmel, Adam Sandler, and Sandra Bullock. “A lot of people don’t realize how close Jen and Matthew were because she didn’t broadcast how much she stuck by him,” the Closer Weekly insider noted. “She was one of the only people that would still reach out to him even when he was deep in the grip of his addiction and pushing everyone away.” With Perry gone, it’s Cox who is making sure Aniston feels supported every step of the way.
“She’s grieving too, but it’s obvious Jen is having the hardest time coping so Courteney’s focus is on her,” they added. Aniston has praised Cox over the years for being a constant presence in her life ever since they met in 1994. “There’s absolutely no judgment in Court,” she told More magazine in 2014, via E! News. “You’ll never feel scolded. She’s extremely fair, ridiculously loyal, and fiercely loving.” She’s the BFF who has “been there for me through thick and thin” and Aniston revealed she spent a lot of nights in “her guest bedroom” after romantic heartbreaks.
It’s a friendship that’s endured for three decades and this moment just happens to be the one when Aniston needs Cox the most. The Scream star is happy to step up and be that person for Aniston because that’s what friends are for in times of need.
