MATTHEW Perry’s sister has spoken publicly about her late brother for the first time, revealing that she still talks to the Friends star nearly three years after his death.
Mia Perry Bowick opened up about Perry ahead of Netflix’s new docuseries The One About Matthew Perry, offering an emotional glimpse into how his family continues to cope with his loss.
Appearing on TODAY alongside the documentary’s director, Mary Robertson, Bowick said her brother remains a constant presence in her life.
“He was my main confidant in talking just about life stuff, you know, he was my big brother,” she said,
“He always had the best, loving advice and I do still talk to him.
“He’s still very much a constant presence in our lives, but I miss being able to hug him after our conversation.”
Bowick also described him as her “favorite person” during the emotional TV chat on Monday as she held back tears.
Her appearance marks the first time Bowick has spoken publicly at length about Perry, giving viewers a rare perspective from inside the actor’s family as the third anniversary of his death approaches.
Perry died on October 28, 2023, at age 54 after being found unresponsive at his Los Angeles home.
His death was ruled accidental, with the acute effects of ketamine identified as the primary cause and drowning and coronary artery disease listed among the contributing factors.
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Five people were later charged over the drugs supplied to Perry, with his live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa eventually jailed for three years and five months after admitting he injected the actor with ketamine on the day he died.
Drug dealer Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the “Ketamine Queen” by prosecutors, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after admitting supplying the ketamine that ultimately killed Perry.
Middleman Erik Fleming was sentenced to two years in federal prison, while Dr. Salvador Plasencia was handed 30 months behind bars after admitting illegally distributing ketamine to Perry.
A second doctor, Mark Chavez, avoided prison but was sentenced to eight months of home detention, three years of probation and 300 hours of community service.
The actor had spent years speaking candidly about his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, including in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.
Perry described repeated attempts at treatment and recovery while dealing with addiction during and after his years playing Chandler Bing on Friends.
Bowick said her family eventually learned to approach Perry’s addiction differently as they gained a better understanding of what he was going through.
“As we learned more and more about what was happening to him, it was easier to love him through it, rather than try to control what was happening,” she said.
Those experiences form part of The One About Matthew Perry, which uses unseen photos, family material and interviews to explore Perry beyond his public image.
Alongside Bowick, the series features Perry’s longtime friends, former co-stars and people he met through recovery, as well as figures involved in the investigation into his death.
Among those appearing are longtime friend and co-star Kevin Pollak and former U.S. attorney E. Martin Estrada, who led the prosecution connected to Perry’s death.
Robertson said the documentary seeks to pull back the curtain on his life and show the person behind the TV favorite and the headlines surrounding his struggles.
The three-part documentary is due to land on Netflix on October 27, one day before the third anniversary of Perry’s death.
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