Matthew Perry's stepfather says 'Friends' star 'felt like he was beating' addiction

Matthew Perry attends the GQ Men of the Year Party 2022 at The West Hollywood EDITION on November 17, 2022, in West Hollywood, California. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

Matthew Perry's stepfather, journalist Keith Morrison, is opening up about the “Friends” star months after his death at the age of 54.

Morrison was a recent guest on Hoda Kotb’s podcast “Making Space,” where he talked about his stepson, whose death was determined to have been the result of “acute effects of ketamine.”

The grief over losing Perry “doesn’t go away,” Morrison said.

“It’s with you every day,” he added. “It’s with you all the time.”

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Perry was “larger than life” and in a really good place emotionally in the months prior to his tragic death, his stepdad said.

“He was happy, and he said so. And he hadn’t said that for a long time,” Morrison said. “It’s a source of comfort, but also he didn’t get to have his third act and that’s not fair.”

“And as he said himself, ‘If I suddenly died, people would be shocked, but not too many people would be surprised.’ And he was right.”

The actor had been very open about his struggles with substance abuse. Morrison said, “He felt like he was beating it.”

“But you never beat it,” he added. “And he knew that, too.”

A reporter known for his work with crime stories, Morrison also spoke about his relationship with Perry, saying he “never tried to replace his dad, but I was there for him and he knew it.”

Morrison’s comments mirrored some of those from “Friends” costar Jennifer Aniston, who said she texted with a “happy and healthy” Perry just hours before his death.