Late Actor’s Mother Opens Up About Her Heartbreaking ‘Premonition’

In a rare and emotional interview with the Today show, Suzanne Morrison, mother of beloved Friends star Matthew Perry, shared deeply personal moments from one of her last conversations with her son.

Just shy of the one-year anniversary of Perry’s death, Morrison sat down with Today host Savannah Guthrie, joined by family members, including Perry’s stepfather, veteran Dateline NBC correspondent Keith Morrison.

During the interview, Suzanne revealed a chilling sense of inevitability she felt leading up to her son’s passing. “There was an inevitability to what was going to happen,” she said, expressing a mother’s heart-wrenching intuition about Perry’s struggles.

She recalled a tender, almost eerie exchange with her son during a recent visit. Perry had been showing her around his new home, expressing gratitude and love with an unusual intensity. “He came up to me and said, ‘I love you so much and I’m so happy to be with you now,’” Morrison recalled, describing the moment as “almost like a premonition.” She reflected on the significance of this rare vulnerability from her son, who, despite his fame and humor, was deeply private about his personal battles.

In the same preview clip aired by Today, Suzanne recounted that Perry had recently told her, “I’m not frightened anymore,” a statement that stirred unease in her. “It worried me,” she admitted. She went on to describe her sense that Perry felt a certain finality to his struggles, despite his enduring commitment to addiction recovery and helping others find sobriety.

Savannah Guthrie noted that Perry’s family carries both sorrow and a sense of purpose in continuing his advocacy for addiction recovery. “It was the purpose of his life,” Guthrie said, alluding to the powerful legacy Perry hoped to leave through his efforts in supporting others struggling with substance abuse. “There’s some stuff to announce around that too,” she hinted, suggesting the family’s plans to honor his mission.

Perry passed on October 28, 2023, at age 54, when first responders found him unresponsive in his home. TMZ reported that preliminary toxicology tests showed no fentanyl or meth in his system, later confirmed by an autopsy to be caused by acute ketamine effects. Factors such as coronary artery disease and the presence of buprenorphine, often prescribed to manage opioid addiction, were also documented in the report.

The tragedy has led to legal action, with charges filed against two doctors who prescribed Perry medication in his final months. As the full Today interview airs on October 28, his family aims to bring attention to the ongoing need for support in addiction recovery—a cause that Perry championed until the end.

For those battling substance use or addiction, help is available. Contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for free, confidential support, 24/7.