Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pays warm tribute to Matthew Perry – after Friends star revealed he once beat up the politician in the schoolyard: ‘Thanks for all the laughs’

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has paid tribute to his former school friend Matthew Perry, who previously admitted to beating the politician.

Perry, 54, was found Saturday in his Los Angeles home after first responders were called to the scene for cardiac arrest around 4 p.m. PDT.

Sources said he was found in a jacuzzi at the house, but no drugs were discovered at the scene – and there was no evidence of foul play.

As tributes continue to pour in for the Friends actor, who has long struggled with addiction, his former high school friend Justin Trudeau has paid tribute to him.

In a post on social media, Prime Minister Trudeau said: “The passing of Matthew Perry is shocking and saddening.”

He continued, “I will never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, and I know people around the world will never forget the joy he brought to them.

“Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were loved – and you will be missed.”

Perry had previously revealed on the Jimmy Kimmel show that he and another of his friends had beaten up Trudeau.

During a speech on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2017, Perry told the host, “My friend Chris Murray reminded me of this, that we actually beat up Justin Trudeau.

“We both beat him up. I think he excelled at a sport that we weren’t, so it was purely jealous. So we beat him up.”

Perry continued, “I’m not bragging about this, this is horrible. I was a stupid child.’

At the time, Trudeau expressed humor about his childhood experiences, tweeting, “I’ve been thinking about it, and you know what, who hasn’t wanted to punch Chandler?

“How about a Matthew Perry rematch?”

Perry had reportedly played a two-hour game of Pickleball before his death, after which he sent his assistant out on an errand. When they returned, the deputy found Perry unresponsive and called 911.

He rose to fame in his role as ‘Chandler Bing’ on the hit ’90s sitcom Friends, which ran for ten seasons, and has spoken openly about his struggle to overcome a decades-long drug and alcohol addiction.

In his latest post to his Instagram, shared earlier this week, the star shared images of him in his pool and said: ‘Oh, so the warm water swirling makes you feel good? I’m Mattman.’

Perry has been publicly outspoken about his problems with drugs and alcohol after first entering rehab in 1997 for what was said to be an addiction to painkillers following a jet ski accident.

After this first period, he went to rehab again in 2001 and 2011. In 2016, he told an interviewer that he doesn’t remember filming three seasons of Friends.

An old friend of Perry’s – who was recovering with him – told DailyMail.com: ‘Everyone is in a total state of shock. People are crying on the phone and struggling to accept this news.

“It’s no secret he’s struggled with drugs and alcohol for years, but the last time I spoke to him, which was in recent weeks, he seemed to be in a good place.

‘He was cheerful and sounded down-to-earth and positive.

“He had been to rehab seventeen times and almost died from opioid abuse, but he was someone who was sincere about taking his life and his sobriety one day at a time.

‘It’s such tragic news. Everyone prays he doesn’t relapse. Matt was a really nice guy. He was always the first to welcome newcomers to the group and always volunteered to help and serve.

“We are all struggling to come to terms with this terrible news.”

After the series, he appeared in several television shows, but did not achieve the longevity and success of Friends. He continued to play roles in films such as 2009’s 17 Again.

Perry never married and ended his engagement to Molly Hurwitz, a talent manager, in 2021.

He dated several famous actresses, including Julia Roberts and Lizzy Caplan.