Matthew Perry's family reveal he spent $7million trying to get sober and recall 'that feeling of emptiness he couldn't quite fill' in poignant trailer for new Netflix documentary

Matthew Perry's family have revealed he spent $7million trying to get sober. The actor, who passed away in 2023 aged 54, went to rehab 15 times and attended 6,000 AA meetings as he battled lifelong addictions to alcohol, prescription opioids (such as Vicodin and OxyContin), and later ketamine. Now, in a new Netflix documentary, The One About Matthew Perry, Matthew's family and his best friends reflect on his rise to fame, incredible career and dark battles. Ahead of the three-part series release on October 27 – the third anniversary of his death – the streaming platform shared a poignant trailer on Tuesday. His sister, Mia Perry Bowick, said in a statement: 'It’s taken time for me to feel ready to share these memories and what it was like to love Matthew through all the complexity of his life — to see him as a whole person, not just as Chandler and not just as someone who struggled with addiction.'As his sister, he shaped who I am today, the person I strive to be and the work to which I’ve devoted my life. Matthew Perry's family have revealed he spent $7million trying to get sober In a new Netflix documentary, The One About Matthew Perry, Matthew's family and his best friends reflect on his rise to fame, incredible career and dark battles'Matthew had a beautiful heart and a generous spirit, and even in his darkest moments, he could still make you laugh and feel loved. I hope this series gives everyone who loved him, whether personally or from afar, a deeper appreciation for who he truly was and the legacy he survived by.'In the trailer, Mia said: 'All great stories have comedy and tragedy tragedy in them, and that certainly was Matthew's story.'Then audio from an old interview with Matthew about the moment his world changed when he secured the role of Chandler Bing in the sitcom Friends played. He said: 'I was extremely happy when I got famous. Then it was like, "Uh-oh. This didn't fix what's inside me". 'This didn't do what I thought it was gonna do. I had people telling me to stop, say, "You're gonna kill yourself if you keep going like this". And I just didn't know how.'Psychotherapist Mia reflected: 'My brother would talk about that feeling of emptiness or loneliness that he couldn't quite fill.'He spent $7 million trying to get sober. That's how seriously he took his disease.'The documentary, which is directed by Mary Robertson, also includes stories of memories from his friends David Pressman and Roger Castillo, and several former girlfriends as well as unseen family photos. Matthew died after drowning in a jacuzzi at his home in Los Angeles following a ketamine overdose. Ahead of the three-part series release on October 27 – the third anniversary of his death – the streaming platform shared a poignant trailer on Tuesday The actor battled addiction for many years, a struggle that intensified during his time on Friends, when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing The family have shared unseen photos from their private album The actor battled addiction for many years, a struggle that intensified during his time on Friends, when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing.His rise to fame alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer on the iconic Friends sitcom was overshadowed by personal struggles.The actor openly admitted that his addiction issues frequently interfered with his work during those years and he laid bare his struggles in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.Five people have since been convicted for their part in his overdose, including Perry's drug counsellor, his 'Ketamine Queen' drug dealer Jasveen Sangha, and two doctors.Matthew's one-time assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, who injected the Friends star 'repeatedly' with ketamine on the day he died, was sentenced to more than three years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, causing death.If you are struggling with substance abuse, you can contact Alcohol Anonymous on: 0800 917 7650 or email help@aamail.org, or for drug addiction call FRANK on 0300 123 6600.