It's Controversial/ When FRIENDS' star Matthew Perry almost died from drug overdose after his colon burst

Matthew Perry, known for his role as Chandler Bing in the TV series Friends, once shared the haunting details of his struggle with opioids and addiction. Matthew Perry's battle with addiction took a horrifying turn when, in 2018 at the age of 49, his colon burst due to an excessive use of drugs, particularly opioids, as per a report by PEOPLE. This shocking revelation was a part of his memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," which takes readers on a journey behind the scenes of Friends and his personal struggles.

Matthew Perry was in a two-month coma

Matthew Perry's fight for survival led to a two-month coma and an arduous five-month hospitalisation. During his recovery, he also had to rely on a colostomy bag for nine months. He recounted the bleak prognosis he faced, revealing to PEOPLE, "The doctors told my family that I had a 2 percent chance to live." Desperate circumstances led to the use of an ECMO machine. "No one survives that," Perry shared.

Matthew Perry's early roots of addiction

As per PEOPLE, Matthew Perry's struggles with alcohol began during his early years on Friends, which he joined in the early 90s at the age of 24. He admitted, "I could handle it, kind of." However, by the time he reached 34, the entrenchment of addiction had taken hold. He emphasised that there were periods of sobriety interspersed within these turbulent years, including a notably sober season during the show's ninth season, around 2002.

In a telling revelation to PEOPLE, Perry highlighted, "That was the year that I was sober the whole way through." The outcome of that season stood as a stark reminder, with Perry's nomination for the title of best actor. He reflected, "I was like, 'That should tell me something.'"

Matthew received support from his Friends co-stars

Throughout his struggles, Perry found solace in the understanding and patience of his Friends co-stars. 

He likened their support to the protective nature of penguins, explaining how they rally around a sick or injured penguin until it can stand on its own. Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc played a pivotal role in his journey toward recovery.