Podcaster Kevin Brennan was slammed on social media after posting a tweet in which he made light of Friends star Matthew Perry’s death at the age of 54 on Saturday, in which he was found in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home.
The comedian and one-time Saturday Night Live writer, 63, tweeted a link to TMZ’s coverage of the actor’s passing on Saturday with the caption, ‘DROWNED IN A HOT TUB. HAHAHAHA.’
Brennan, who hosts a podcast called Misery Loves Company, replied to a tweet of TMZ’s coverage of his comments with the headline ‘Ex-SNL Writer-Comedian Kevin Brennan Mocks Matthew Perry’s Death.’
Brennan replied Sunday evening, ‘I didn’t mock it. I just thought it was funny. But I do love it when junkies die.’
The Friends actor, who played Chandler Bing on the NBC smash hit, had battled substance abuse throughout his life, said that he was keen to help others who were dealing with a similar situation.
The latest: Podcaster Kevin Brennan, 63, was slammed on social media after posting a tweet in which he made light of Friends star Matthew Perry’s death at the age of 54 on Saturday, in which he was found in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home
The comedian and one-time Saturday Night Live writer, 63, tweeted a link to TMZ’s coverage of the actor’s passing on Saturday with the caption, ‘DROWNED IN A HOT TUB. HAHAHAHA’
Perry, in a November 2022 appearance on the podcast Q with Tom Power at Toronto’s Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, said that the ‘paramount thing’ he would want to be remembered for ‘is that he wants to help people’ battling addiction,
‘The best thing about me, bar none, is that if an alcoholic or drug addict comes up to me and says, “Will you help me?”‘ he said. ‘I can say yes and follow up and do it.
‘When I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned. I want that to be the first thing that’s mentioned, and I’m going to live the rest of my life proving that.’
Perry said that it was difficult for him to watch past episodes of Friends, as he could chart his addiction battle by his appearance on the program.
‘I didn’t watch the show, and haven’t watched the show, because I could go drinking … opiates … drinking … cocaine,’ he said. ‘Like I could tell season by season by how I looked.’
Perry called the program – which co-starred Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer – ‘an incredible ride.’
He added: ‘It’s been an incredible thing to watch it touch the hearts of different generations. It’s become this important, significant thing and I, you know, I would watch that again. It was really funny, and all the people were nice.’
Perry appeared on the hit series for 10 seasons spanning 1994 until 2004. He had also appeared in a number of motion pictures in his career, including 1997’s Fools Rush In, 2000’s The Whole Nine Yards and 2009’s 17 Again.
Brennan doubled down on his sentiments in a tweet responding to coverage of his controversy
The Friends actor, who played Chandler Bing on the NBC smash hit, had battled substance abuse throughout his life , said that he was keen to help others who were dealing with a similar situation. Pictured this past April in LA
Perry appeared on the hit series Friends for 10 seasons, spanning 1994 until 2004
On Saturday, TMZ reported that first responders had been summoned to Perry’s home to deal with a cardiac arrest. Foul play was not suspected in the actor’s death, sources told the outlet.
Friends creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane, and the show’s executive producer Kevin Bright, released a statement that read, ‘We will always cherish the joy, the light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment – not just to his work, but in life as well.
‘He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart.’
Warner Bros. released a statement following Perry’s death, saying, ‘We are devastated by the passing of our dear friend Matthew Perry. Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros. Television Group family.
‘The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many. This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans.’
