Matthew Perry died tragically on October 28, leaving questions about what happened to his estate — and his millions of “Friends.”
Los Angeles entertainment attorney Tre Lovell told The Post that in the case of a death like Perry’s, there are three options that could happen.
“There may be a trust, and that will be administered privately, through its trustees. He can have a will – which will be administered below [probate] court supervision. If he has neither, there is a statutory framework in place, where there is a listing of his heirs who will get his estate.”
Lovell added that if the third option were to happen, since Perry had no wife or children and his parents were still alive, “They would divide his estate. His siblings would be next in line, after his parents. But, since both his parents are still alive, they will get it,” he explained.
Perry — and her “Friends” co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer — reportedly make $20 million a year. The beloved NBC comedy ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004.
Perry, who struggled with addiction and sobriety for years, died of drowning in a hot tub at her home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Matthew Perry (from left) as Chandler Bing, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani and Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay in “Friends.” NBC via Getty Images Perry before his tragic and unexpected passing. Represent.com/MEGA
She is survived by her extended family: her actor father, John Bennett Perry, 82, her mother Suzanne, 75, her famous stepfather, “Dateline’s” Keith Morrison, 76, and her five siblings: Caitlin, Emily, Will and Madeline Morrison (who is Suzanne’s daughter with Keith) and Maria Perry (who was the daughter of John Bennett Perry with his second wife, Debbie Boyle).
A law enforcement source told TMZ that investigators conducted a less thorough toxicology test on the actor that revealed Perry had no fentanyl or methamphetamine in his system at the time of his death.
More tests are being conducted as part of the toxicology report. It can take months to establish an official cause of death, which is still “pending.”
Aniston (from left), Cox, Perry, Kudrow, Schwimmer and LeBlanc during a special taping of “Friends: The Reunion” in 2021. AP Perry talks about her struggles with addiction in her memoir in 2022. AP
Perry’s friend Athenna Crosby, 25, who was one of the last people to see the “Friends” star before his death — when the two dined together just a day before the tragedy — insists he has not relapsed.
“I think people are speculating that this is a recurring situation. I just want to defend it and say that it’s not,” he said, adding that he was “100% sober” and behaving in a “completely normal” way during lunch them.
LeBlanc (left) and Perry as Joey and Chandler in “Friends.” Warner Bros. Schwimmer (from left), Aniston, Cox, Perry, Kudrow and LeBlanc. The actor reportedly makes $20 million a year. Getty Images
Lovell told The Post that if there is trust, the information may not be made public, as it is private.
“I’d be surprised if there wasn’t some kind of estate planning. He is a famous actor, he has a business manager, an agent, a lawyer,” he said.
As for the residuals from “Friends” from syndication and streaming, through SAG-AFTRA, “You can dictate who it can go to,” Lovell said.
“So, that can be separated from any trust or will. So, there is a chance he writes in someone [to receive that money after his death]. But we don’t know.”
Perry (far right) may have earmarked his hefty “Friends” salary to go to an addiction charity should he die. NBCUniversal via Getty Images Schwimmer (left) and Perry as Ross and Chandler on “Friends.” Courtesy of the Everett Collection
If Perry “writes in someone,” it could be charity, Lovell explained.
The Canadian actor, who estimated he spent $9 million over the years to get sober, finally achieved sobriety before his death.
He also formed the Perry House in 2013 at his former Malibu residence, a men’s sober living facility that operated for two years.
Perry (far right) left behind no wife or children, so the money will likely go to his parents, and possibly an addiction recovery charity, entertainment attorney Tre Lovell told The Post. ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection The Matthew Perry Foundation is being established to help people battling substance abuse. ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
On Friday, close friends of the late “Friends” star announced that they will establish the Matthew Perry Foundation to help those battling substance abuse.
“The Matthew Perry Foundation is a realization of Matthew’s ongoing commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction,” officials said in a statement to “Entertainment Night.”
“It will honor his legacy and be guided by his own words and experiences and fueled by his passion to make a difference in as many lives as possible.”
Lovell pointed out that since “recovery was a big part of his life, there was a lot of speculation that if he appointed anyone to receive the assets, it might be some kind of charity or [addiction] recovery organization.”
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