Friends star Matthew Perry’s personal items, artwork up for auction

Article content

Fans of Friends — and of Matthew Perry himself — are about to get a rare, personal glimpse into the late actor’s life, as items from his estate head to auction for a cause that mattered deeply to him.

Article content

The sale, set for June 5 and organized by Heritage Auctions, will raise money for the Matthew Perry Foundation, which was launched shortly after Perry’s death in 2023. The foundation focuses on reducing stigma around addiction and expanding access to treatment. Its CEO, Lisa Kasteler Calio, said Perry believe addiction should be treated “with compassion and science” — not shame or silence — and that this auction is another way to carry that mission forward.

Article content

Article content

Items are a mix of TV history and personal keepsakes

There’s a set of 26 original Friends scripts from memorable episodes like “The One With Ross’s Tan,” “The One Where Joey Speaks French,” and the two-part finale. Some scripts, including the pilot and finale, are signed not just by Perry, but also by co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer.

Other highlights include Perry’s 1995 Screen Actors Guild Award for ensemble performance, his personal replica of the iconic yellow peephole frame from Monica and Rachel’s apartment, and a Friends photo album cheekily titled “The One With the Last Supper.” The auction also reaches beyond TV memorabilia, featuring artwork he owned by Banksy and Mel Bochner.

Article content

Article content

Auction details

Bidding is already underway online, with the items set to be displayed publicly in Beverly Hills, Calif., from May 18-29 before the live and online auction in Dallas, Texas.

Proceeds will support several initiatives tied to the foundation, including a fellowship in addiction medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and grants for organizations helping people in recovery.

Matthew’s death and legacy

Perry, who played Chandler Bing from 1994 to 2004, became one of the most recognizable TV stars of his era thanks to Friends. But his legacy now is just as tied to his openness about addiction and his push to help others facing similar struggles.

His death on Oct. 28, 2023, shocked fans. He was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his Hollywood home by his assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. A medical examiner later determined that ketamine and other factors caused him to lose consciousness and drown, as previously reported by the Toronto Sun.

Article content

Legal fallout has been extensive

Jasveen Sangha — known as the “Ketamine Queen” — was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for distributing the drugs linked to Perry’s death, according to the Toronto Sun. In total, five people, including doctors and Iwamasa, have pleaded guilty to charges connected to the case.

Among them, Dr. Salvador Plasencia received a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for illegally supplying ketamine to Perry in the weeks leading up to his death, while Dr. Mark Chavez was sentenced to eight months of home confinement. Sentencings for Iwamasa and another associated, Erik Fleming, are still expected later this year.

— With files from The Associated Press

Article content