Netflix’s “The One with Matthew Perry” will be without its most famous “Friends.”
Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer decided not to appear in the upcoming documentary about their late co-star, a source tells Page Six.
“They were contacted and they decided not to participate,” the insider said of Perry’s former classmates. “Finally, the series gives voice to other friends and colleagues in his life who have memories and love of Matthew.”
A second source told Page Six specifically why Aniston, 57, won’t be attending, saying it would be very difficult to address the loss.
“There’s no way Jen would ever do something like that,” the insider said. “She’s not going to sit down and start crying on camera. She doesn’t want to relive it and make it so public.”
The intimate three-part series, directed by Mary Robertson, promises to offer a glimpse into who Perry was before his tragic death at the age of 54. His sister, Mia Perry Bovik, opens up for the first time about the complexity of his life and the legacy he left as part of the project.
Perry remained close to all of his former “Friends” co-stars after the show ended in 2004, but he credited Aniston as the person he looked up to the most.
Perry was found unconscious in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home in October 2023. It was later determined that he died from the acute effects of ketamine, a drug used to treat depression, as well as recreationally.
Five people, including Perry’s assistant and two doctors, were arrested in connection with his death. They all reached plea agreements, with four of the five serving prison sentences.
Perry spoke openly about his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction and sobriety before his death.
“I’m a survivor,” Perry wrote in her 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” where she also revealed she spent more than $9 million on rehab.
“I’ve been through hell and back, and I’m still here. I want to share my story because I want people to know they’re not alone. There is hope. You can get better.”
“The One About Matthew Perry” will premiere on Oct. 27, coinciding with the third anniversary of the actor’s death.