Matthew Perry’s ex Ione Skye recalls his heartfelt ‘out of the blue’ message days before his tragic death
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In the days leading up to his untimely death, Matthew Perry reached out to his former flame, actress Ione Skye, in a message that now holds a haunting significance.
In her upcoming memoir, 'Say Everything', Skye, 53, revealed that Perry sent her a text reminiscing about their time together.
Matthew Perry's message for Ione Skye
Perry's message read, “Hi! I hope all is well. I was meditating (I meditate now) and ‘In Your Eyes’ started playing. And I instantly thought of you and how beautiful you are... I hope you are healthy and happy.”
The actress described the text as completely ‘out of the blue,’ noting that although she and Perry occasionally exchanged messages, this particular one was particularly striking.
“It was very wild because every once in a while we text, but that was really out of the blue. So I was really surprised,” Skye told The Mirror US.
She added that despite the unexpected nature of the message, it brought her happiness.
“It was such a warm text. It was so nice,” she shared.
Ione Skye reflects on Matthew Perry's struggles
Reflecting on Perry’s struggles, Skye expressed her sorrow for those suffering from mental health and addiction battles.
“Anyone who's despairing, it's just the worst. And so I'm just like, ‘This is horrible.’ And the thought of people who can’t get out of those periods, I just, I feel for anyone like that,” she added.
In 'Say Everything', Skye also revealed that she now regrets not calling Perry when she received the message.
“But no one talked on the phone anymore. So, after a brief, sweet text exchange, we signed off as friends,” she wrote.
Inside Matthew Perry and Ione Skye's relationship
Skye and Perry first met when they were teenagers, and she describes their brief romance as a fond memory.
“It was beautiful to have had that time together,” she told The Mirror US.
Recalling the beginning of their relationship, Skye said Perry invited her over for a "sober drink."
“I was curious, and he was adorable and handsome and rich and presumably sober, so I said yes,” she added.
After catching up, they moved to his bedroom to watch a movie, where they eventually hooked up.
Skye described the experience as "perfectly pleasant."
They repeated the meeting the following week, but after that, she never saw him again in person.
However, Perry would text her occasionally over the years to check in.
Ione Skye remembers Matthew Perry
Perry tragically died in October 2023 at the age of 54 and his cause of death was later determined to be from the "acute effects" of ketamine.
While Perry battled addiction throughout much of his life, Skye believes that during their brief romance, he was sober.
“When we had our tryst, he, I guess he must have been sober. Or I just didn't notice because I couldn't tell if he was on pills or something. But I never really saw him in a bad way,” she shared.
Perry was open about his struggles with addiction, chronicling them in his 2022 memoir, 'Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.'
