Beloved “Friends” star Matthew Perry left a lasting mark both on and off screen — and it turns out that in his final years, the actor was undergoing a major life transformation.
Perry, who passed away at the age of 54 this past weekend, had a rollercoaster ride of real-estate dealings that saw him trade sprawling mansions for a more modest cottage, just as he grappled with his demons and the quest for love.
As the world still mourns his loss, insiders have revealed that Perry was battling a profound sense of loneliness in the years leading up to his demise.
“He had a heart of gold and was doing his best to help others, but there was a loneliness there. He spent most of his days in his home and was very lonely,” a source shared.
In the summer of 2020, smack in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Perry snagged a cozy 3,000-square-foot cottage in Los Angeles for $6 million.
This downsizing endeavor was a stark departure from his previous Malibu abode, a sprawling 5,500-square-foot oceanfront property, which he listed around the same time he acquired the cottage.
The Malibu mansion ultimately sold for $13.1 million around this time three years ago.
Perry also owned a lavish 9,300-square-foot Los Angeles penthouse, which he bought in 2017 for $20 million. He initially listed it for a whopping $35 million, but sold it in 2021 for $21.6 million.
This year, the penthouse found a new owner for $21 million — specifically, Rihanna.
Perry’s final dwelling, located in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, was a midcentury ranch-style gem that had undergone recent renovations. Made up of four bedrooms and 4.5 baths, with floor-to-ceiling windows that looks to views of the Pacific Coast and Catalina Island, this cottage is a gem in its own right.
Inside, the house has oak floors throughout, a great room encompassing living and dining areas, and an eat-in kitchen complete with a stunning floor-to-ceiling wine rack. Among its four bedrooms, two were master suites, offering sliding doors leading to pergolas.
Outdoors, the .37-acre grounds hosted a raised pool overlooking the ocean, as well as a fire pit. Perry later added a new pool when he took ownership.
Just days before his passing, the actor shared a final, haunting photo on Instagram. Seated in a hot tub with headphones on, he captioned the post with, “Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I’m Mattman.”
He also shared a video of the moon, alluding to Batman, writing, “Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you? – I’m Mattman.” F days later, Perry was discovered dead in the Jacuzzi.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed the news, stating that they responded to a death investigation on Oct. 28, revealing that Perry was in his 50s when he passed.
Perry’s journey towards his final years was marked by a profound transformation.
Just a year before his untimely death, he candidly admitted that he longed for lasting love and the opportunity to become a father.
Despite high-profile romances with stars like Julia Roberts and Lizzy Caplan, Perry often found himself ending relationships, haunted by an irrational fear. He acknowledged, “I manifest something that’s wrong with them, and then I break up with them. But there can’t be something wrong with everyone. I’m the common denominator. I left first because I thought they were going to annihilate me.”
His battle with drug and alcohol addiction further complicated his love life, leading him through 15 rehab stints.
It wasn’t until he achieved sobriety in May 2021 that Perry said he had conquered his fear of love. “I’m not run by the fear I used to be run by so everything’s kind of different. I’m feeling more confident and I’m not afraid of love anymore, so the next girl I go out with better watch out,” he declared.
Perry was most recently engaged to his literary manager, Molly Hurwitz, but their relationship took a toll in 2021 as he struggled with alcoholism.