The late Matthew Perry‘s life saw a series of incredible highs as well as lows, both of which he detailed in a 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing. One of those sets of highs and lows, presumably, arrived with his relationship, engagement, and breakup to literary manager Molly Hurwitz. Their romance lasted from 2018 to 2021, and upon breakup, Perry admitted, “Sometimes things just don’t work out and this is one of them.” He had previously called Molly “the greatest woman on the face of the planet,” and the two were together while Perry recovered from his 2018 hospitalization, during which doctors gave him a 2% chance to live.
Understandably, Hurwitz didn’t speak out about Perry’s death immediately when the news broke over the weekend, but she did take to Instagram on Monday with a moving tribute about Perry’s rediscovery of his comedic brilliance. She also hinted at their complicated relationship with a nod towards her experience with Al Anon and Perry’s struggles with substance abuse:
He would love that the world is talking about how talented he was. And he really was very talented.
As the Friends reunion was approaching, we rewatched the show together. “F*ck, I was so good!!!…See what I did there???” We rewound and studied scenes. Our respect and appreciation of humor is something that connected us. Being with him as he rediscovered his brilliance was magical.
But, I obviously knew that man in a very different way, too. While I loved him deeper than I could comprehend, he was complicated, and he caused pain like I’d never known. No one in my adult life has had a more profound impact on me than Matthew Langford Perry. I have tremendous gratitude for that, for everything I learned from our relationship.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Al Anon, an invaluable resource for those who love someone struggling with this destructive disease.
Matty, I feel relief that you are at peace.
Hurwitz also posted a striking photo of Perry’s shadow, and there’s no mistaking that silhouette. As well, Perry’s Friends co-stars have also broken their silence on their family member’s passing. However, Perry’s own recent words made clear that he’d like to be first remembered for something other than the long-lived 1990s TV show that made him a household name.