The Matthew Perry Foundation was established to help people addicted to alcohol and drugs: NPR

Matthew Perry on stage at the Emmy Awards on September 23, 2012 in Los Angeles.

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Matthew Perry on stage at the Emmy Awards on September 23, 2012 in Los Angeles.

Phil McCartan/Invasion/AP

A new foundation named after the late actor Matthew Perry has been set up to help people suffering from addiction.

A statement on the Matthew Perry Foundation’s one-page website, launched Friday, describes its mission as, “a recognition of Matthew’s enduring commitment to helping others battling the disease of addiction. ”

gave Friends The star, who died a week ago in Los Angeles aged 54, had struggled with unhealthy alcohol and drug addiction for decades.

In his 2022 memoir Friends, lovers, and great horrors, Perry has written openly about her struggles as well as her desire to use her fame to make a difference. He spoke about this intention in several media interviews he gave at the time of the book’s release.

“So I have to take advantage of that,” he told ABC’s Diane Sawyer. “I have to help as many people as possible.”

The Matthew Perry Foundation was started by the National Philanthropic Trust, a nonprofit that works with donors, foundations and financial institutions. It is already accepting donations.

The trust did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for comment.

Other foundations focusing on addiction have been established by celebrities and their families. Melissa Etheridge created the Etheridge Foundation in honor of her son, who died of an opioid overdose in 2020. Amy Winehouse’s family established the Amy Winehouse Foundation after the pop star died of alcoholism in 2011. and after Heath Ledger’s accidental overdose death. In 2008, his mother created the Scriptwise Foundation.

On October 28, Perry’s assistant found the actor unresponsive in the hot tub of his Pacific Palisades home. Perry’s cause of death remains under investigation.

Meanwhile, speculations about the fate of the actor have started in the media. According to CNBC, Perry earned $20 million a year, largely in syndication fees Friends. The star never married, had no children, and is survived by divorced parents and five half-siblings.