Comedian shocks audience with brutal joke about Friends star Matthew Perry’s addiction battle… after fans’ concerns over his slurred speech
No topic is off limits for the comedians on Australian panel show Have You Been Paying Attention?
On Monday’s episode, funnyman Ed Kavalee mocked Friends star Matthew Perry over his well-documented history of drug and alcohol addiction.
Matthew, 51, who portrayed Chandler Bing in the NBC sitcom from 1994 to 2004, has battled addictions to Vicodin, methadone, amphetamines and alcohol over the years, and also had two stints in rehab.
‘He had a crush on Dan Murphy’: Ed Kavalee (left) mocked Friends star Matthew Perry (right) over his drug and alcohol addiction on Monday’s episode of Have You Been Paying Attention?
Ed, 41, joked about Matthew’s struggles during a round of questions about the recent Friends reunion special, in which actor David Schwimmer revealed he was once romantically interested in co-star Jennifer Anniston.
‘Who did David Schwimmer have a crush on back when they were shooting?’ quizmaster Tom Gleisner asked.
Comedian Sam Pang responded: ‘Was it Gunther?’
Gunther, played by James Michael Tyler, was the manager of the Central Perk café and is remembered for his unrequited love for Jennifer’s character Rachel Green.
Quiz: Ed, 41, joked about Matthew’s struggles during a round of questions about the recent Friends reunion special, in which actor David Schwimmer revealed he was once romantically interested in co-star Jennifer Anniston. Pictured: HYBPA? quizmaster Tom Gleisner
Sam’s tongue-in-cheek response prompted the audience explode with laughter.
Marty Sheargold eventually provided the correct answer: Jennifer Aniston.
However, his moment of glory was undermined when fellow funnyman Ed joked: ‘Matthew Perry admitted that he had a big crush on Dan Murphy.’
Ouch: Ed joked that Matthew had a ‘big crush on Dan Murphy’ – referring to the Australian liquor store franchise Dan Murphy’s
Dan Murphy was the entrepreneur who created popular Australian liquor store franchise Dan Murphy’s.
Matthew has been open about his past addictions and once told BBC that he can’t ‘remember three years of’ shooting Friends, but has since gotten sober.
He became hooked on Vicodin after a jet-skiing accident in 1997 and has told People his habit became ‘out of control and very unhealthy’ afterwards.
Addiction: Matthew has been open about his past addictions and once told BBC that he can’t ‘remember three years of’ shooting Friends, but has since gotten sober. Pictured on the Friends reunion special
As seen in the People interview: After promo interviews dropped earlier this month for the Friends reunion show fans began expressing worries online regarding Matthew’s health
This past December, his ex Kayti Edwards alleged in The Sun that when he was in the depths of his addiction he would take 80 Vicodin in one day.
It comes after fans expressed their fears for Matthew after he appeared to slur his speech in People magazine’s promotional interview for the recent Friends reunion.
One Twitter user wrote: ‘Just saw People interview and can’t believe how Matthew Perry looks like… seriously it breaks my heart.’
Another shared: ‘It pains me to see Matthew Perry like this, he just seems off, gazing at the void, speaking slowly.’
‘Hate to say it, but I’m sad and scared like hell for Matthew Perry,’ wrote a third. ‘Damn, Matthew Perry in those PEOPLE Friends interviews.’
Back! The long-awaited Friends reunion finally made its debut on Thursday, with the sitcom’s cast heading back to the iconic set to reminisce on the show’s history, 17 years since its conclusion. The cast is pictured at the reunion