“Dateline” host Keith Morrison broke his silence this week on the tragic death of his famous stepson, “Friends” star Matthew Perry — and he did so for a touching reason.
Last month, Perry was found dead in his hot tub at his home in Los Angeles, in what appeared to be a drowning incident. He was 54.
On Monday, Morrison, who has been Perry’s stepfather since the actor was a child, made his first public remarks about his loss.
“This is not the sort of thing I commonly do, this pitch,” the Canadian broadcast journalist posted on X, formerly Twitter. “But this year is different. And tomorrow is Giving Tuesday. Do what you can; he would have been grateful.”
At the bottom of Morrison’s post is a link to the Matthew Perry Foundation.
Although Giving Tuesday 2023 ― the global campaign for holiday philanthropy — has already passed, donations can still be made to the organization, which was set up to honor what the actor wanted as his legacy.
Shortly after the “Whole Nine Yards” star died, a quote went viral from a 2022 interview that Perry did with the “Q With Tom Power” podcast. The quote appears at the top of the Matthew Perry Foundation page. It reads: “When I die, I don’t want ‘Friends’ to be the first thing that’s mentioned ― I want [helping others] to be the first thing that’s mentioned. And I’m going to live the rest of my life proving that.”
Perry’s “Friends” co-star Jennifer Aniston also urged fans to contribute to the foundation.
“Please join me and Matty’s family in supporting his foundation — which is working to help those suffering with addiction,” Aniston wrote on Instagram.
Screenshot @jenniferaniston Instagram Story
The nonprofit organization is a donor-advised fund sponsored and maintained by the National Philanthropic Trust.
Perry wrote candidly about his struggles with alcoholism and addiction in his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.” He also worked during his life to help others on their sobriety journeys.
In 2013, Perry turned his home in Malibu, California, into a sober living facility for men, which he called the Perry House. He also wrote and starred in the play “The End of Longing,” which premiered in London’s West End theater district in 2016.
“[The play] will be remembered for an incredibly powerful monologue spoken by Perry’s character Jack set in an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting,” Adam Bloodworth, a theater critic for the The Independent, wrote. “Addressing the audience and breaking the fourth wall, he opened Jack up in a way that felt raw and honest.”
Morrison married Perry’s mother, Suzanne Langford Perry, in 1981. Matthew was about 12 when Morrison tied the knot with Suzanne, who was a writer, consultant and press secretary to then-Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
In a 2017 appearance on “Watch What Happens Live,” Morrison spoke fondly of his stepson and highlighted how close they were — noting that he often visited the “Friends” set during the show’s production.
When host Andy Cohen asked Morrison what the best perk of knowing Perry has been, Morrison smiled.
“Where should I start? There are dozens of them,” Morrison said. “He is a very good guy.”
Need help with substance use disorder or mental health issues? In the U.S., call 800-662-HELP (4357) for the SAMHSA National Helpline.