Keanu Reeves thought Matthew Perry questioning why he was 'still alive' when other actors are dead came out of 'left field': report
- Matthew Perry has apologized for comments he made about Keanu Reeves in his new memoir.
- In his book, Perry questioned why actors like Heath Ledger die when Reeves "still walks among us."
Keanu Reeves has reacted to comments Matthew Perry made about him in his new memoir, according to a report by US Weekly.
Perry's new memoir titled "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," released on Tuesday, largely focuses on the "Friends" star's battle with addiction and his journey to recovery. Insider previously reported that in his memoir, the actor revealed how he nearly died after his colon burst from opioid use when he was 49.
However, the book also contains several references and anecdotes about other celebrities, some of whom have died from drug overdoses. In excerpts of the book published by Variety and The Sunday Times, Perry, 53, mentioned Reeves twice while reflecting on the premature deaths of River Phoenix, Chris Farley, and Heath Ledger.
"River was a beautiful man, inside and out — too beautiful for this world, it turned out," Perry wrote. "It always seems to be the really talented guys who go down. Why is it that the original thinkers like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger die, but Keanu Reeves still walks among us?"
The comments caught the attention of Reeves, best known for his roles in "The Matrix" and "John Wick" franchises.
According to an anonymous insider quoted by the publication, Reeves thought the comments came "out of left field" but that they "backfired" after Perry apologized.
Perry issued an apology in a statement to Deadline, saying that he is "actually a big fan of Keanu" and that he chose "a random name."
"My mistake. I apologize," he said. "I should have used my own name instead."
Representatives for Perry and Reeves did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.