Matthew Perry’s sister breaks silence in emotional first interview since his tragic death

Matthew Perry’s younger sister, Caitlin Morrison, and his stepfather, Keith Morrison, have broken their silence nearly a year after the star’s tragic death.

The Friends actor rose to fame playing Chandler Bing on the NBC sitcom from 1994 to 2004 and was found dead in his hot tub on October 28, 2023 at the age of 54.

His cause of death was found to be due to the ‘acute effects’ of the anesthetic ketamine after he was given three injections of the drug – with five people arrested since he was arrested as part of an investigation into his death.

Keith, 77, and his daughter Caitlin – whose mother is Suzanne Morrison – gave a joint interview HELLO! Canada about Matthew when they opened up about the work they’ve done in his memory.

Caitlin, 43, is executive director of the Matthew Perry Foundation in Canada, and told the outlet that the work makes her feel: “I sit next to Matthew and work with him every day on something that is important to him. ‘

“I have the treasure of being able to keep him very, very close to my life all the time, which is amazing,” she continued.

The organization that Caitlin currently leads is separate from the American Matthew Perry Foundation, which was established shortly after his death.

Caitlin also said to HELLO! he had the ability to “fill a room with light,” adding, “When people were in a room with (him) there was magnetic energy.”

“Everyone just had a smile on their face and they were hanging on to everything he said,” Perry’s sister said.

Perry’s stepfather – who married Matthew’s mother in 1981 – also told the newspaper: ‘[Matthew] I would like to be remembered for doing something to help people with addiction.’

He added that it was “incredibly shocking” when the actor “suddenly passed away” at his Pacific Palisades home last year.

Keith continued, “Anyone who has lost a child will tell you that even if you are somehow prepared for the possibility, it is crushing.”

“What we decided to do is stick with that determination and try to do something useful.”

Along with Caitlin – who was his half-sister – Matthew had four other siblings: half-sisters Emily Morrison, Maria Perry, Madeline Morrison and half-brother Will Morrison.

In the late actor’s memoir, titled: Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, he opened up about his relationship with Caitlin, writing that he “loved her instantly” when she was born.

On the official website for the Matthew Perry Foundation of Canada, Caitlin gave insight into her relationship with the 17 Again star.

In the bio section, she was described as “Matthew’s little sister – a wide-eyed girl who thought (still thinks) her brother was the coolest human being to ever exist.”

It was also revealed what she “learned” from Perry, including “how to properly spread popcorn, how to ‘work’ a report card and how to perform ‘Who’s on First’ with perfect comedic timing.”

But the “best” thing Matthew taught Caitlin was “that no matter how many times you fail, you haven’t failed until you stop trying.”

And in an op-ed published in the Toronto star On Wednesday, she reflected further on his death and founded the foundation after his battle with addiction.

“There was nothing unique about the pain I felt when my brother died last year,” she wrote.

Matthew’s death was announced following the shocking news, which Caitlin said felt ‘unusual’.

She later added, “People often assume that the unusual things make the loss more difficult. They say things like, “I’m sorry for your loss. Especially with all that attention. It must make it that much harder.”

“I sincerely thank them, but I’m often tempted to tell them they’re wrong,” Caitlin continued.

“Every year, thousands of families in Canada feel the bitter shock and unfathomable grief I felt when they learned of a loss like mine.”

‘In 2023, that shock would hit one family every 41 minutes on average. Imagine the panic of magazine editors if they had to print a new cover for every addiction victim…,” Perry’s younger sibling added.

“Loss is a lonely thing, and sharing my loss with the world has taken away some of the loneliness.”

Caitlin also wrote, “It was similar for my brother. He felt all the pain of living with addiction: the eternal battle between the desire to be free from substance use and the driving obsession to use.”

‘Waging that inner war in the spotlight brought him the relaxation of company. It gave him his own battle goal: he could help others – make them feel less lonely.’

She explained that the Canadian foundation “was created as a love letter to him from his relatives – a way to be with him in a world where he no longer lives….”

Caitlin’s first interview following her brother’s death comes just weeks after one California doctor has entered a guilty plea for his role in Matthew Perry’s fatal overdose.

Mark Chaves arrived at an LA court on October 2, where he formally pleaded guilty to illegally distributing ketamine. The judge accepted the plea.

He faces a prison sentence of up to ten years, even with a plea bargain. He will be sentenced on April 2, 2025.

Before the court hearing, Chaves agreed to stop practicing medicine and handed over his passport to authorities.

It is understood that Chavez sold ketamine lozenges to Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who is accused of then providing them to Perry.

Plasencia faces separate charges, to which he pleaded not guilty.

Plasencia is accused of sending Chavez a text message saying “I wonder how much this idiot will pay” when he heard Perry was looking for ketamine.

His attorney Matthew Binninger said after Chavez’s first court appearance on Aug. 30 that he is “incredibly remorseful” and is “trying to do everything in his power to right the wrongs that happened here.”

Perry was found dead by his assistant, and the medical examiner later ruled that ketamine was the primary cause of death.

The actor used the drug through his regular doctor in a legal but off-label treatment for depression, which is becoming increasingly common.

Perry struggled with addiction for years, dating back to his time on Friends, when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing.