The tragic story behindMatthew Perry’s sudden death — andthe alleged culprits being held responsible for it— is coming to the screen.
PEOPLE can exclusively premiere the trailer for the documentary, which premieres Feb. 25 and begins with audio ofthe dispatch call made to first responders after Perry drownedat his L.A. home.
“This could not be true,” one insider asks ofPerry’s Oct. 29, 2023 death at age 54. “How could this possibly be true?”
Matthew Perry photographed in Hollywood, CA on September 20, 2022 for PEOPLE.Brian Bowen Smith
Brian Bowen Smith
As footage plays of Perry and hisFriendscostarsJennifer Aniston,Matt LeBlanc,Lisa Kudrow,David SchwimmerandCourteney Coxamid the heyday of the ’90s sitcom, a fan says Perry was her favorite “because he just made me laugh all the time.”
Then,Morgan Fairchild, who played his character Chandler Bing’s mom on the sitcom, says of the late actor, “He really touched people’s lives.”
“They really preyed on somebody vulnerable,” one person says. “He was doing so well. Everyone thought he was clean and sober. That’s when we knew that there’s way more to this story.”
Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic
Martin Estrada, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, whose office is handling the investigation into Perry’s death, whichwas the result of the acute effects of ketamine, also weighs in.
“He had died as a result of ketamine,” Estrada says. “The defendants have all been charged.Three of them have pled guilty and will be cooperating. Two remain.”
“The allegations show a trained doctor is injecting Mr. Perry in parking lots,” he continues. “We used to blame [the] victim. We don’t do that anymore.”
As the trailer wraps up, an insider says, “This story has become so big that we’re really forgetting this story is about one man and that he will be missed.”
It fittingly concludes with footage of Cox, Kudrow and Perry at the 1996Screen Actors Guild Awards, as Cox declares, “Matthew Perry is the funniest person in the whole world.”
Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow during the 1996 Screen Actors Guild Awards.SGranitz/WireImage
SGranitz/WireImage
Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedyexplores the ongoing case that was opened in May 2024 andled to five people being charged, includingPerry’s live-in personal assistant, two medical doctors, andan alleged Hollywood drug dealer known as “the Ketamine Queen,” with conspiracy to distribute ketamine.
“The special explores the case as two of the defendants, who have pleaded not guilty, await trial,” per the official description.
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Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedyairs Tuesday, Feb. 25 on Peacock.
source: people.com