Matthew Perry's slurred speech in Friends reunion promo due to an 'emergency tooth procedure'

Matthew Perry’s slurred speech in a promo for the upcoming Friends reunion special recently sparked concern among the show’s devout fanbase, with many questioning his sobriety.

But a source revealed to The Sun that the actor’s slurred speech was due to ‘an emergency tooth procedure’ that had been performed just hours before filming.

‘Matthew turned up to the reunion [in April] and members of his team said that he had an emergency tooth procedure that day,’ the insider recalled. 

Concern: Matthew Perry’s slurred speech in a promo for the upcoming Friends reunion special recently sparked concern among the show’s devout fanbase, with many questioning his sobriety 

‘That was said to impact his wellbeing and also how he was feeling. [Matthew] had been in pain from what we understand, which caused the slurred speech. 

‘Obviously no one wants to film after a procedure, but it happened. The feeling was one of huge sympathy for Matthew, especially in recent days given how people have reacted online.

‘Matthew has told those around him that he is sober, and there is no need to worry.’

In the Friends reunion promo, released last week, Perry’s awkward demeanor as he sat with co-stars Jennifer Aniston , Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc was hard to overlook. 

Emergency: But a source revealed to The Sun that the actor’s slurred speech was due to ‘an emergency tooth procedure’ that had been performed just hours before filming 

Hours before: ‘Matthew turned up to the reunion [in April] and members of his team said that he had an emergency tooth procedure that day,’ the insider recalled 

The highly-anticipated special, which was postponed a number of times due to the pandemic, was shot in April and will air on May 27 via HBO and HBO Max. 

When asked if he ever took anything from set as a souvenir, Perry admitted: ‘I stole the cookie jar that had the clock on it’ with a heavy ‘sh’ sound at the start of ‘stole.’ 

Though his speech was stilted, Matthew’s physical appearance was on the healthier side. 

His castmates were able to hide any of their concerns, as David and Matt giggled and smiled at the TV star, who played Chandler Bing on the NBC hit. 

‘Just saw People interview and can’t believe how Matthew Perry looks like… seriously it breaks my heart,’ one fan wrote on Twitter shortly after the clip made its rounds online.

In the Friends reunion promo, released last week, Perry’s awkward demeanor as he sat with co-stars Jennifer Aniston , Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc was hard to overlook

‘It pains me to see Matthew Perry like this, he just seems off, gazing at the void, speaking slowly,’ wrote another.

‘Hate to say it, but I’m sad and scared like hell for Matthew Perry,’ a third added. ‘Damn, Matthew Perry in those PEOPLE Friends interviews.’

Another tweeted: ‘Just watched @people exclusive interview clip of Friends casts and the time hasn’t been kind. I hope Matthew Perry is okay. Damn how much I love them.’ 

One wrote: ‘Let’s not use the friends reunion to make fun of the way matthew perry looks these days. people age, funnily enough.

‘Matthew has been through A LOT since friends wrapped up in 2004. be respectful instead of judgmental. hard block me rn if you think making fun of him is funny.’

Heartbreaking: ‘Just saw People interview and can’t believe how Matthew Perry looks like… seriously it breaks my heart,’ one fan wrote on Twitter upon the promo clip’s release last week

Perry has been open about his past struggles with addiction, previously telling People things got ‘out of control and very unhealthy’ after a 1997 jet-ski accident left him addicted to the painkiller Vicodin.

Addiction left Matthew in a tough state, as he admitted to BBC Radio 2 in 2016.

‘I don’t remember three years of [the show],’ he said. ‘Somewhere between Seasons 3 and 6 … I was a little out of it.’ 

He told People in 2013: ‘I couldn’t stop. Eventually things got so bad that I couldn’t hide it, and then everybody knew.’

The actor, who checked himself into rehab during his time on Friends once in 1997 and again in 2001, told the Hollywood Reporter in 2015: ‘I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my life. I learned a lot from my failures.

‘But the best thing about me is that if an alcoholic comes up to me and says, ‘Will you help me stop drinking?’ I will say, ‘Yes, I know how to do that.”

Perry’s addiction came about after he got hooked on prescription pills following a jet ski accident.

Keeping a low-profile: Matthew has stayed under the radar in recent years. He caused concern in 2019 when he looked dishevelled in his first sighting for almost two years 

He did his third stint in rehab in May 2011, when a representative for the star said it was to prevent a relapse. 

The Massachusetts born actor last starred in a movie in 2009’s 17 Again opposite Zac Efron.

Following that he appeared in several TV series including Mr. Sunshine, Go On and The Good Wife.

After a break of several years, he will next be seen in the comedy Don’t Look Up, which follows the tale of two astronomers, played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, discover that a giant asteroid that could destroy all life on Earth is cruising toward the planet. 

The film boasts an absolutely stacked cast including Cate Blanchett, Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Kid Cudi, Tyler Perry, Melanie Lynskey and Chris Evans, among others, and is expected to be released later this year.  

Under the radar: Prior to his shock reemergence in 2019 he had been pictured in Beverly Hills in 2017 (left) and in 2016 (right)