Matthew Perry's Friend Slams 'Relapse' Rumors Surrounding His Death

Matthew Perry

As Matthew Perry's official cause of death is pending the results of a toxicology report, there has been much speculation about what happened.

While his untimely death was reported as an apparent drowning, given Perry's history with substance abuse—which he extensively explored in his 2022 memoir—many couldn't help but wonder if the Friends star relapsed.

In an interview published on Thursday, Nov. 2, Perry's friend, Athenna Crosby, opened up about the actor's state of mind before passing.

“He was 100 percent sober when he passed,” Crosby told Fox News Digital.

“I mean, I can’t know what exactly he was thinking or feeling. I can only share my experience," she continued. "And, of course, he was his own person that maybe he had said, done or thought of things the day that he passed that I might never come to know.”

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One day before Perry died, Crosby had lunch with him at the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles. The model and entertainment reporter, 25, reflected on his overall demeanor during their final meet-up.

“In the interaction that I had with him, he was extremely positive, sober, acting normal, spoke very well, did not give me any impression that he was under drugs or alcohol of any kind,” she explained. “So, I think people are speculating that this was a relapse situation. I just want to defend him and say that it was not.”

Crosby explained that she has been replaying that last meeting with Perry since his Oct. 28 death.

"I’ve been kind of thinking like, ‘OK, was there anything that I, I guess, should have noticed or was there anything that stuck out to me?’ And honestly, no, there wasn’t,” she said.

She continued: “He was so normal. He ordered a cheeseburger and had a Diet Coke and really just a normal day like any other day.”

Next: Who Gets Matthew Perry's 'Friends' Residuals After His Death?