Jennifer Aniston mourning Matthew Perry ‘all over again’ as holiday season begins: 'He won't be there'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jennifer Aniston is mourning Matthew Perry “all over again," a source close to the 'Friends' star recently revealed. 

The insider told In Touch Weekly that Aniston is yet to move on from the grief caused by the death of her co-star and dear friend even after a year.

Perry, who co-starred with Aniston in the hit NBC sitcom ‘Friends’, remained in touch with her after the show went off the air in 2004. The source revealed that as the holiday season approaches, Aniston is becoming even more sentimental as she is grieving the ‘17 Again’ actor’s death.

Jennifer Aniston still mourns Matthew Perry’s death

Speaking to the outlet, the source revealed that ‘The Morning Show’ actress is seeking solace in the surviving co-stars and her dogs. David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, and Courteney Cox starred alongside Aniston and Perry in the hit sitcom and remained friends decades after the show ended. 

As the holiday season is advancing, the source shared, “Jen’s always cherished the holidays” as it is “a special time for her … they’re also a time when she tends to get extra sentimental.” 

On October 28, 2023, Perry was found unresponsive in his Pacific Palisades home. He was declared dead as the paramedics arrived. 

The autopsy later revealed that Perry, 54, died due to “acute effects of ketamine.”

The source revealed that for Aniston, facing the holiday season without her friend seems daunting as the ‘Fools Rush In’ actor became a constant in the actress’ yearly holiday traditions. 

The source added that for the last 30 years, since the show started in 1994, “connecting with Matthew was always a part of her holiday tradition.”

“They didn’t advertise it,” revealed the source, before adding, “But he’d come by quietly, or she’d go see him.”

The insider further noted that in the years when the two stars could not physically meet, they would catch up via phone. “They’d usually get on the phone and have a good long catch up,” shared the source, before noting, “She could always count on getting a goofy holiday card from him.”

As the actor too gushed about their friendship in his autobiography, ‘Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,’ the insider shared, “He was just always there, in some way,” before adding, “and she looked forward to that.”

“It’s surreal and sad knowing he won’t be,” continued the source before elaborating, “Last year the holidays were so tough, the grief was still so fresh. But the truth is, it hasn’t faded the way she hoped it might. In some ways, it’s almost like she’s mourning him all over again.”

Amid this, the actress is counting on her friends to uplift her spirits. “She’s counting on her friends and loved ones to help her through, to share in the memories. It’s what’s keeping her steady right now,” shared the insider. 

They further noted, “She feels incredibly lucky to have that support from her close friends. And her dogs are a huge comfort, too. But the loss of someone as important as Matthew … none of that really makes up for the grief she still feels, even a year later.”

Jennifer Aniston paid emotional tribute to Matthew Perry

On Matthew Perry's first death anniversary, Jennifer Aniston paid an emotional tribute to her friend by sharing a series of throwback pictures. Sharing the photos, she wrote, "1 year ❤️‍🩹🕊️," while tagging @matthewperryfoundation. 

After the actor's death in 2023, she wrote, "Oh boy this one has cut deep... Having to say goodbye to our Matty has been an insane wave of emotions that I’ve never experienced before. We all experience loss at some point in our lives. Loss of life or loss of love. Being able to really SIT in this grief allows you to feel the moments of joy and gratitude for having loved someone that deep. And we loved him deeply."

She continued, "He was such a part of our DNA. We were always the 6 of us. This was a chosen family that forever changed the course of who we were and what our path was going to be."

"For Matty, he KNEW he loved to make people laugh. As he said himself, if he didn't hear the ‘laugh’ he thought he was going to die," shared the star. 

"His life literally depended on it. And boy did he succeed in doing just that. He made all of us laugh. And laugh hard. In the last couple weeks, I’ve been poring over our texts to one another. Laughing and crying then laughing again. I’ll keep them forever and ever. I found one text that he sent me out of nowhere one day. It says it all," wrote the star, before adding, "(See the second slide…)"

She continued, "Matty, I love you so much and I know you are now completely at peace and out of any pain. I talk to you every day… sometimes I can almost hear you saying “could you BE any crazier?” before concluding her post with, "Rest little brother. You always made my day…❤️🕊️."