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SINGLE STRUGGLES
Matthew Perry ‘didn’t want to be alone’ but it was ‘hard for him to find a woman he could trust,’ friend claims
The 54-year-old split from his fiancee Molly Hurwitz in 2021
MATTHEW Perry didn't want to be alone but found it hard to find a woman he could trust, his friend has claimed.
The Friends star's longtime barber Pierre Johnson Jr spoke exclusively to The U.S. Sun after the actor's devastating death on Saturday.
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Pierre - who worked with Matthew from 2018 to 2022 - has reflected on the 54-year-old single status at the time of his death.
He told The U.S. Sun: “He lived alone. He was a lovable guy and he didn't want to live alone.
"He wanted to be with someone. But it was so hard to find anybody that he could trust."
Pierre - who would cut Matthew's hair and shave his beard during bi-weekly house visits - revealed Matthew was going on dates after his split from fiancee Molly Hurwitz.
“I know he was back out there after his breakup with Molly," he said.
"I do remember after a haircut, he put a leather coat on because he said he had a date that night. He was still foxy.
“He wanted a woman who was genuinely kind to him, didn’t want him for his money, and wouldn’t sue him!"
Pierre also talked about the beloved actor's dream of becoming a father.
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"My daughter was born in 2018 and he said he wanted to be a father," he recalled.
"He never got a chance to have a child, it’s so sad.”
Pierre also revealed that Matthew was planning on making a TV comeback and felt "happier than ever" in the last few years.
Matthew and literary manager Molly began dating in 2018 and got engaged in November 2020 before calling off the relationship in June 2021.
MOLLY'S TRIBUTE
Molly shared an emotional tribute to the actor on Instagram on Monday after he was found dead in his backyard hot tub.
She began her lengthy : "He would love that the world is talking about how talented he was. And he really was very talented.
"As the Friends reunion was approaching, we rewatched the show together. 'F**k, I was so good!!!… See what I did there?' We rewound and studied scenes. Our respect and appreciation of humor is something that connected us. Being with him as he rediscovered his brilliance was magical.
"But, I obviously knew that man in a very different way, too. While I loved him deeper than I could comprehend, he was complicated, and he caused pain like I’d never known.
"No one in my adult life has had a more profound impact on me than Matthew Langford Perry. I have tremendous gratitude for that, for everything I learned from our relationship."
"I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Al Anon, an invaluable resource for those who love someone struggling with this destructive disease," Molly added.
"Matty, I feel relief that you are at peace," she concluded.
Before Molly, he dated actress Lizzy Caplan for six years until 2012.
In his memoir, Perry wrote of their split: "All my fears reared up like a snake.
"I often think if I'd asked [her to marry me], now we'd have two kids and a house. Instead, I'm some schmuck who's alone in his house at fifty-three."
DEVASTATING DEATH
Matthew was found unresponsive in the jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home by his assistant on Saturday afternoon.
Hours earlier, he had played racquet sport pickleball with a female friend, who revealed the star had felt unwell and “fatigued” for the past week.
He returned home from the country club and sent his assistant on an errand.
His assistant found him unresponsive in the water when they returned and made a frantic call to 911.
Matthew, who played Chandler Bing on Friends, was believed to have drowned, but sources told the outlet that first responders were scrambled for a cardiac arrest.
His cause of death has been deferred, meaning medical examiners need more time to investigate. There were no signs of foul play.
Authorities found anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and a drug for chronic pulmonary disease at his home.
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