Adele stops show to pay tribute to ‘brave’ Friends star Matthew Perry

Adele stopped her Vegas show to pay tribute to ‘brave’ Friends star Matthew Perry.

The actor, best known for playing Chandler Bing in the sitcom, died yesterday (28 October).

Perry was reportedly found in a hot tub at a Los Angeles home aged 54.

NBC - which aired Friends - confirmed this tragic news in a statement, writing: “We are incredibly saddened by the too soon passing of Matthew Perry.

“He brought so much joy to hundreds of millions of people around the world with his pitch-perfect comedic timing and wry wit. His legacy will live on through countless generations.”

And fans have flooded social media with tributes to the actor, with one writing: “Thank you for all of the laughter and joy you brought to the world. I hope you are at peace and know how much you were beloved - truly beloved - by the world. Rest peacefully, F.R.I.E.N.D.”

Adele was on stage at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace for her ongoing Las Vegas residency not long after the news broke.

The ‘Someone Like You’ singer paused her show to speak about Perry, calling Chandler ‘probably the best comedic character of all time’.

Adele continued: “It is always so shocking, especially someone that made you laugh and who bought so much joy to your life that you don't know. This is what I find so strange, I never met him in my life.

“There is something, you feel so sad about it especially because you don't necessarily know what was going on.”

She added of Chandler: “I'll remember that character for the rest of my life.”

Adele, who recently announced she’d stopped drinking, also addressed Perry’s openness about his issues with alcohol and opioid addiction.

“He was so open with his struggles with addiction and sobriety, which I think is incredibly, incredibly brave.”

Adele paused her Vegas show to pay tribute to Matthew Perry on Saturday night.

Around Hollywood, Selma Blair, Mira Sorvino and more posted tributes to the “Friends” star on social media. Here’s what they had to say: https://t.co/A8aRhRLKZ0#SNL #Friends #ChandlerBing pic.twitter.com/Zv89QAQAdR

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) October 29, 2023

Pausing the show before singing ‘When We Were Young’, she recalled a childhood memory.

“One of my friends Andrew when I was, like, 12 did the best Chandler impression,” she said.

“He would do it all the time to make us laugh and if any of us were having a bad day or feeling low he would just pretend to be Chandler.”

According to a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson, Perry’s death was treated as a ‘water rescue’.

An investigation is currently ongoing and there is currently no cause of death.

There was also no apparent foul play, police sources have said.