A podcaster has refused to back down following a huge public backlash after he mocked Matthew Perry’s death on Twitter.
The Friends star tragically passed away on Saturday at the age of 54, having been found in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home.
One-time Saturday Night Live writer Kevin Brennan was criticized on social media after posting a tweet ridiculing the actor’s death.
The comedian, 63, tweeted a link to TMZ’s coverage of the actor’s death on Saturday with the caption: “DROWNED IN A HOT TUB. HAHAHAHA.’
Kevin, who hosts a podcast, called Misery loves companythen responded to a tweet from TMZ’s reporting of his comments with the headline “Ex-SNL writer-comedian Kevin Brennan mocks Matthew Perry’s death.”
Outrage: A podcaster has refused to back down following a huge public backlash after he mocked Matthew Perry’s death on Twitter
Devastating: The Friends star tragically died on Saturday at the age of 54, in which he was found in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home (pictured in 2015)
Horrible: One-time Saturday Night Live writer Kevin Brennan was criticized on social media after posting a tweet ridiculing the actor’s death
On Sunday he replied: ‘I didn’t mock it. I just thought it was funny. But I do like it when junkies die.’
In response to a user who asked Kevin, “Why is drowning in a hot tub funny?” he replied, ‘Because it is not very deep.’
Kevin faced a wave of criticism for his mean comments, but refused to back down and continued to make jokes.
On Monday, he took to Twitter again and asked, “Am I trending yet?”
People reacted in disgust, with one person commenting: ‘That’s EXACTLY why I said you would do it, you waste of space!! Anything for attention, even if it is negative. Enjoy your 90 seconds of fame.’
Another person wrote: ‘To remind people what a loser you are? Yes, yes you are,” while a third echoed: “He is literally the only reason anyone finds out who you are lol so Matthew has the last laugh.”
A fourth agreed, saying: ‘For all the wrong reasons. Who the hell says they “love it when junkies die?” Read the room.
“You should update your bio just to say…. terrible person. I hope your podcast company drops you and all four listeners who are likely tuning into your show.”
Doubling down: Kevin, who hosts a podcast called Misery Loves Company, then replied to a tweet from TMZ’s coverage of his comments with the headline “Ex-SNL writer-comedian Kevin Brennan mocks Matthew Perry’s death”
Vile: On Sunday he replied: ‘I didn’t mock it. I just thought it was funny. But I love it when junkies die
Nasty: In response to a user who asked Kevin, “Why is drowning in a hot tub funny?” he replied: ‘Because it is not very deep’
Five minutes of fame: Kevin faced a wave of criticism for his vile comments but refused to back down and continued to joke, asking on Twitter on Monday: ‘Am I trending yet?
It comes after Kevin faced a wave of anger this weekend for trying to mock Matthew’s untimely death.
Many fans criticized him on social media, with one questioning: “Comedy is supposed to be funny. Who told you you’re a comedian? Self-appointed?’
One person said in disgust: ‘It’s nothing to laugh about at all!!! You’re dirty if you think otherwise. You realize that people can go into cardiac arrest and die in any environment, right?
‘So you think heart attacks and death are funny? No wonder you’re a low-level comedian; you are not funny.’
Someone else echoed: ‘No wonder I had no idea who you were until the comment was picked up. At least people really knew who he was.”
Another commented: ‘Imagine having to write something negative about someone of significance just to feel relevant.’
While a sixth said Kevin’s comments were ‘just trying to get another 15 minutes of fame which isn’t going to happen.’
Another agreed, writing: ‘Jealous, you won’t be mourned when your time comes, will you?’ while another called Kevin ‘a very sad, sad person’.
Disgusting: It comes after Kevin faced a wave of anger this weekend for trying to mock Matthew’s untimely death
Inspirational: Matthew had battled substance abuse all his life and said he wanted to help others dealing with a similar situation (pictured in April)
While someone else added: ‘So you’re a terrible person. good to know there is a reason why you don’t write for snl anymore; your lousy comedy.”
And another wrote to Kevin: ‘Are you that desperate to stay relevant? Until the TMZ article, no one knew who you were. Millions knew and loved Matthew without hesitation.
‘His past hasn’t changed that, it has made him stronger. He died with more class and dignity than you could ever hope for.”
Matthew, who played Chandler Bing on the NBC hit Friends, had struggled with substance abuse his entire life and said he wanted to help others dealing with a similar situation.
In a November 2022 appearance on the podcast Q with Tom Power at Toronto’s Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, he said the “most important thing” he would like to be remembered for “is wanting to help people in their fight against addiction.”
“The best thing about me, bar none, is when an alcoholic or drug addict comes up to me and says, ‘Will you help me?'” he said. “I can say yes and follow through and do it.
“When I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing mentioned. I want this to be the first thing that comes up, and I’m going to have to spend the rest of my life proving that.”
Matthew said it was difficult for him to watch previous episodes of Friends as he was able to chart his addiction struggles through his appearance on the programme.
Iconic Character: Matthew appeared as Chandler Bing on the NBC hit Friends for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004
“I didn’t watch the show, and I didn’t watch the show because I might start drinking…opiates…drinking…cocaine,” he said. “Like I could see what I looked like season after season.”
Matthew called the show – starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer – “an incredible ride.”
He added: ‘It was incredible to see how it touched the hearts of different generations. It’s become something important, and I, you know, I would look at that again. It was really funny, and all the people were nice.”
Matthew appeared on the hit series for ten seasons, from 1994 to 2004. He has also appeared in a number of films during his career, including 1997’s Fools Rush In, 2000’s The Whole Nine Yards and 2009’s 17 Again.
On Saturday, TMZ reported that first responders were called to Matthew’s home to treat cardiac arrest. No foul play was suspected in the actor’s death, sources told the outlet.