Matthew Perry’s friend has broken her silence on her final meeting with the beloved actor just one day before he died.
Model, actress and entertainment correspondent Athena Crosby was pictured grabbing lunch with the Friends actor in Los Angeles on 27 October and the photos were published by TMZ.
Athena has since come forward to share her identity and reflected on her final memories with Perry, who was found dead at his home on Saturday (28 October) in a suspected drowning.
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Law enforcement sources have said Perry, who was just 54 years old, was unresponsive when he was discovered in his hot tub. There were no signs of foul play or illegal drugs on the scene.
"Once again I never intended to say anything," she wrote on her Instagram Stories on Tuesday (31 October), "but since I have been identified yes that is me with him this past Friday.
"I want to emphasize that Matthew was in extremely good spirits, and talked to me enthusiastically about the things that he had coming up in his life," she continued.
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"He was so happy & vibrant. Please refrain from any speculation surrounding his death and know that the man was on a comeback and truly deserved more time on this earth. Our entertainment industry has truly lost a legend. RIP."
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Athena also addressed why she didn’t immediately speak out about Perry following his death.
In an Instagram post, she wrote: "I wasn't going to speak about this but what I will say is I had the honor of knowing Matthew personally. I am so devastated from his death but felt it was in poor taste to talk about it publicly as the attention should not be on me but rather on him and his legacy and he was an extremely private person and I always respected that in our friendship. But indeed, we were friends and I was one of the last people to speak to him before he passed."
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While encouraging her followers to check out Perry’s memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, she said: “And remember to be kind to all no matter what they are facing. Everyone is simply trying their best."
In a joint statement shared with People, the cast of Friends said: "We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss."
Featured Image Credit: Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic/Instagram/@athennacrosbyTopics: Celebrity, Matthew Perry