Matthew Perry's parents and stepfather looked emotional heading to where he passed
Matthew Perry‘s parents, as well as his stepfather, were seen heading to the house where the Friends star reportedly died. Perry was discovered unresponsive on Saturday afternoon, having apparently drowned in a jacuzzi.
The trio was seen looking somber as they headed to the home where Perry died. It is now reported by Blast that the jacuzzi where Perry was found was in his own backyard. Following the shocking news of his death at just 54, Perry’s family is speaking out.
Perry is the son of Canadian journalist and press secretary Suzanne Morrison (née Langford), with actor and model John Bennett Perry. His stepfather is Dateline correspondent Keith Morrison, whom Suzanne married in 1981. Footage shows Morrison greeting and comforting Perry’s grief-stricken parents.
The family has since issued a statement to PEOPLE expressing their grief for the loss and gratitude for the support they have received. “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother,” Perry’s parents have said. “Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend.”
The statement continued, “You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love.”
Perry was just a year old when his parents split. John, who is 82, has a background in music and acting, having sung with the Serendipity Singers and appeared in multiple films over the decades, including Lipstick (1976), The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981), Independence Day (1996) and George of the Jungle (1997). He has also been in several television programs, including The West Wing; L.A. Law; and Magnum, P.I..
During her time in politics, Perry’s mother Suzanne served as press secretary to Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, the father of Justin Trudeau.
As of 1995, Morrison has been the correspondent for NBC’s Dateline. Indeed, Morrison is one of the most famous faces on Dateline and is attributed with drawing in and maintaining viewer interest. Even Saturday Night Live has made reference to him in a sketch with Bill Hader playing Morrison, a similar approach taken for a parody on Late Night with Seth Meyers mimicking his dramatic delivery.
The divorce would put a strain on Perry’s relationship with his father John; even so, Perry would go on to idolize him. “That was mostly the way that I saw my father when I was young — on TV shows,” he revealed in a 2004 interview with NBC, “and you know, getting shot through a door on Mannix, or something like that. That’s my Dad.”
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