Even a year after Matthew Perry's passing, the tide of affection for him has remained unwavering, yet his family reveals that the actor was "utterly unaware" of the extent of his beloved status. "There was a time when tabloids splashed pictures of an overweight actor, not looking his best, wandering the streets or dining out," shares his stepfather, Keith Morrison, with PEOPLE. "He, I believe, felt he had let everyone down," continues the 77-year-old Dateline host, who is married to Matthew's mother, Suzanne Morrison. "He couldn't fathom being cherished – it was a concept he'd never embrace."
This perception began to shift with the release of Perry's bestselling 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. In it, the Friends actor laid bare the devastating toll of his drug addiction and the harrowing brushes with death he'd experienced. Keith recounts, "After his book tour, he was still in disbelief, saying, 'I can't fathom people actually seem to like me.'"
It was Perry's candidness about his addiction that resonated deeply with people. "He laid it all out there, raw and unfiltered," says Keith. "It seemed like he had finally conquered it. I think he put it in the book as a means of hoping he'd overcome it. Maybe if I voice it publicly, if I put it in a book, if they constantly remind me, perhaps I can succeed."
"He spilled his guts," Keith adds.
Despite this, Perry continued to grapple with his demons and developed a ketamine addiction that ultimately claimed his life. According to the plea agreement of his personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, in Perry's final days, he was administered six to eight shots of ketamine daily.
Now, a year after his demise from the "acute effects of ketamine," followed by drowning in his outdoor jacuzzi, his family is still grappling with the aftermath. "Matthew told us – and he said it openly, 'If I pass away suddenly, you might be shocked, but you probably won't be surprised,'" reflects Keith. "It's just one of those things."
"It's a disease – one that affects countless individuals," he emphasizes.
On October 28, marking the first anniversary of Perry's death, Keith, Suzanne, and their daughters, Emily, Madeline, and Caitlin, spoke to Today. The family admitted knowing about Perry's ketamine use, but as Keith puts it, "we didn't realize the extent of it." He believed Perry was still sober, stating, "It seemed to me like he was – even though he had been treated with ketamine, it hadn't spiraled into something uncontrollable. But he was a man who made his own decisions. 'I can handle this. I can do this. I know what's right. I understand the system inside and out. I'm aware of the drug's effects on me.' So there was always that underlying concern, 'What's he really up to?'"
"I'm not even sure if he considered it a relapse in his mind," shares Madeline, a sentiment echoed by the rest of the family.
Asked about what Perry wanted people to comprehend about addiction, Keith tells PEOPLE, "Those battling substance abuse must understand, if they don't already, that this is not a moral failing."
In line with this, the family has found purpose in helping others through the Matthew Perry Foundation of Canada, launched by Suzanne and Caitlin in October. There's also a U.S.-based Matthew Perry Foundation, established shortly after his death, which provides grants to grassroots organizations aiming to "bridge gaps in individuals' recovery journeys," according to Doug Chapin, the board president and Perry's former manager.
"We're not unique," notes Keith. "Our son was famous. Those I encounter on the streets who express condolences, I cherish each one. And in some way, I want them to know that I fully comprehend we're just one family among millions who've experienced this same kind of loss. We're united because we know his dying wish was to be remembered for helping others more than for his fame from Friends."
"That has now become our mission in life," says Morrison, "to fulfill that wish."
For more information and to contribute, visit the Matthew Perry Foundation and the Matthew Perry Foundation of Canada.
