Whoopi Goldberg fights back tears as The View pays emotional tribute to Matthew Perry following his shock death – while recalling his wish to be ‘remembered for helping people’

Whoopi Goldberg took a moment to collect herself as she seemingly fought back tears on The View as she led a heartbreaking tribute to Matthew Perry.

The beloved star, who was best known for playing the witty Chandler Bing, was found dead in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home on Saturday. He was 54.

Discussing his death, Whoopi, 67, said she was “extremely heartbroken” by the news as she honored the late actor’s wish to be “remembered for helping people.”

Addressing viewers of Monday’s show, she began: “You know, we were all beyond heartbroken,” before taking a noticeable pause during which she appeared to regain her composure before adding: “to hear about the sudden death of Matthew Perry’.

Perry was found dead in the hot tub of his LA home on Saturday at the age of 54

Whoopi continued: ‘He was only 54 years old and we were very lucky to have him here last year when he was very open about overcoming his struggles with addiction, and he was really passionate about helping other people through it to come.’

The View then aired an archival interview in which Perry chatted with panelist Joy Behar, 81, during an appearance on The View in November 2022, where he advised addicted people to “get the right help.”

“You have to have professionals in the industry, you can’t just be with a bunch of people who don’t know anything about this because as much as I wanted to quit that day when Jenny (Jennifer Aniston) came to me and said, ‘We know “I couldn’t do it, it just wasn’t an option,” he said.

“But if you raise your hand to the right people, you get the right help, and you’re not alone, then you have a chance – and that’s what I did.”

After the clip, Whoopi let out a deep sigh and said, “He was quite something, and a really funny guy. A very good, funny guy.’

Alyssa Farah Griffin, 34, Sara Haines, 46, Sunny Hostin, 55, and Ana Navarro, 51, also expressed their condolences.

“We were all big Friends fans and that’s a great thing. He gave us all some comedy about it, but he said he wanted to be remembered in 2020 for helping people,” Alyssa noted.

Perry was known for his role as Chandler Bing in the sitcom Friends, which aired until 2004

During an appearance on The View in 2022, Perry recalled how Jennifer Aniston (pictured) once confronted him about his addiction problems.

The actor was open about his problems with addiction – and wanted to help people who were struggling

‘He said, ‘The best thing about me, bar none, is that if anyone comes to me, you can help me stop drinking, will you help me?’ He says yes, and he will follow up and do it.

“He doesn’t want Friends to come first, but how much he cared about other people struggling with addiction.”

“He gave up his house in Malibu and turned it into a rehabilitation center,” Sunny added.

‘Having had so much addiction in my own family, as many of you know, it’s so necessary for someone to be able to see you and help you, because it’s a disease like anything else, but because there’s such a stigma attached to it is stuck, but people don’t get the help they need if they are addicted.’

He starred in the NBC sitcom Friends alongside Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Aniston as Rachel Green, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani and Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay.

Perry’s cause of death has been “deferred” and the investigation is considered “ongoing.”

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office announced that Perry’s cause of death has been “deferred” while the investigation is considered “ongoing” by authorities.

Perry was a smoker who also struggled with alcoholism and opioid addiction, but claimed to have been clean shortly before he allegedly drowned.

He spoke candidly about his past problems, after first entering rehab in 1997 for an addiction to pain medication following a jet ski accident.

He then returned in 2001 and 2011. In 2016, he told an interviewer that he doesn’t remember filming three seasons of Friends.

Despite hiding his demons from the public for years, Perry detailed his struggles in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers And The Big Terrible Thing.

In the opening he wrote: ‘Hello, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.”

He added: “People would be surprised to know that I have been mostly sober since 2001. Except for about sixty to seventy minor accidents over the years.’