Status: 02.11.2023, 16:50 PM
By: Bjarne Kommnick
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Actor Matthew Perry has died at the age of 54 - now the woman who was last seen with him in public is speaking out. © imago / instagram / Athenna Crosby
After the death of Matthew Perry, there was a lot of public speculation about his last photo. Now the unknown woman in the picture spoke up.
LOS ANGELES – The grief is great. "Friends" star Matthew Perry has died at the age of 54. The actor, who rose to fame in his role as "Chandler Bing," was found lifeless in the bathtub of his Los Angeles home, the Los Angeles Times first reported. Fans and friends of Perry were stunned by the death. Now a woman spoke up, who was presumably the last person to be seen with him in public – although she didn't really want to talk about it.
Last photo of Matthew Perry in public – fans speculate about relationship
Shortly after the shocking news, a photo of Perry and a young woman in a hotel restaurant circulated online. According to an Instagram post by the TV show TMZ, the photo was taken just one day before his death. It shows him sitting at a table with the previously unknown woman and appearing to be engrossed in a conversation with her. Already the last photo, which Matthew Perry himself had posted, caused great emotions among his fans.
Fans and media quickly speculated about who the woman in the picture is. But despite the public attention, she did not speak out publicly at first. As a result, various speculations have arisen on social media, suggesting, among other things, a relationship between the woman and Perry. Some users even suspected alcoholic beverages in front of him and his companion in relation to his former alcohol disorder.
'Didn't want to talk about it': Girlfriend speaks out after speculation about Matthew Perry
Perry's companion – Athenna Crosby, in particular – took this as an opportunity to finally face the public after all. She posted a statement on Instagram about four days after the actor's death. "I didn't really want to talk about it," Crosby begins her post. "But what I can say is that I had the honor of knowing Matthew personally."
Although she was "depressed" by the news of the death, she considered it "irreverent" to show her grief in public, "because the attention should not be drawn to me, but much more to him." In addition, the 25-year-old explains: "He was also an extremely private person, I always respected that in our friendship." Crosby then clears up the rumours of a possible relationship: "We were friends and I was one of the last people to talk to him and see him before he died".
"Please leave speculation": Matthew Perry's girlfriend defends herself against internet theories after death
Nevertheless, the speculation about the unknown woman in the photo did not decrease. That's why she addressed her followers on Instagram again: "I never wanted to talk about it, but after I was recognized, that was me with him last Friday". After that, she appeals to the public: "Please stop speculation about his death and understand, this man was on his way to a comeback and he really deserved more time on this earth."