‘He would have been grateful’

Matthew Perry’s stepfather Keith Morrison has urged fans to donate to a foundation set up in the late star’s name on Giving Tuesday.

The Dateline journalist, 76, took to X to urge people to donate to the Matthew Perry Foundation in a heartfelt post Monday.

He wrote:  ‘This is not the sort of thing I commonly do, this pitch. But this year is different.’

“Do what you can; he would have been grateful.’

This comes after Perry’s family encouraged his fans to pitch in and help others on Giving Tuesday. 

The late actor’s loved ones established the Matthew Perry Foundation just days after the his death in late October at age 54. 

The purpose of the charity is to help others suffering from addiction, by ‘identifying addiction as a disease, addressing the complex of stigmas that prevents individuals from seeking and accessing care, and fiercely advocating for better and more equitable treatment.’

In a statement to People, the Friends star’s family explained ‘It is important to us, as a family, to honor Matthew’s legacy.’

‘The potential that the Matthew Perry Foundation has to help those suffering from this disease is something we are proud to bring to the world.’

Perry’s step-father, Dateline reporter Keith Morrison stepped out of his comfort zone, posting a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, which read, ‘This is not the sort of thing I commonly do, this pitch. But this year is different. And tomorrow is Giving Tuesday. Do what you can; he would have been grateful.’ 

The website features a black and white photo of the late actor with a statement he made about his legacy. 

‘When I die, I don’t want ‘Friends’ to be the first thing that’s mentioned – I want helping others to be the first thing that’s mentioned. And I’m going to live the rest of my life proving that.’

‘Addiction is far too powerful for anyone to defeat alone. But together, one day at a time, we can beat it down.’

In his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry wrote he had attended 6,000 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and entered rehab 15 times.

After being honored by the treatment center Phoenix House in 2015, Perry told The Hollywood Reporter, ‘You can’t have a drug problem for 30 years and then expect to have it be solved in 28 days,’ referring to the length of time most insurance company’s in the US will cover for substance abuse treatment.  

Actor and friend Hank Azaria credited the funnyman with accompanying him to his first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

‘I’m a sober guy for 17 years, and I wanna say that, the night I went into AA, Matthew brought me in,’ he wrote on social media.

‘The whole first year I was sober, we went to meetings together,’ The Simpsons actor   said.

‘He was so caring and giving and wise. And he totally helped me get sober. And I really wish he could’ve, you know, found the – found it in himself to stay with the silver life more consistently.’

Although he never met Perry, comedian John Mulaney, who chronicled his own addiction struggle in his Netflix show Baby J, said he was affected by his death. 

‘Addiction is just a disaster,’ he told Variety. 

‘Life is like a wobbly table at a restaurant and you pile all this sh*t on it, and it gets wobblier and wobblier and more unstable. Then drugs just kick the f**king legs out from under the table. I really identified with his story. I’m thinking about him a lot.’ 

Matthew Perry died October 28, after being found unresponsive in the jacuzzi at his home. 

Police at the scene reported no sign of foul play. 

An autopsy has been conducted, but the results have not been released yet pending the results of a toxicology report.

The Matthew Perry Foundation was established November 3.

A press release said it was formed ‘In the spirit of Matthew Perry’s enduring commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction, we embark on a journey to honor his legacy by establishing the Matthew Perry Foundation, guided by his own words and experiences, and driven by his passion for making a difference in as many lives as possible.’

The actor was laid to rest in a private funeral. 

All of his Friends co-stars; Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer, were in attendance.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.