Matt LeBlanc has personally broken his silence over the passing of his dear friend and Friends co-star Matthew Perry, who passed away aged 54 on October 28th.
Though the Friends cast, Matt, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer had all previously acknowledged the late actor's passing in a joint statement following his death, Matt is the first to share a personal tribute.
The actor took to Instagram Tuesday and shared a slew of photos from their time together on the set of the hit NBC sitcom, along with a heartbreaking message.
Matt wrote: "Matthew, It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye," adding: "The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life."
He continued: "It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend. I will always smile when I think of you and I’ll never forget you. Never.
"Spread your wings and fly brother, you're finally free. Much love," he further wrote, endearingly concluding with: "And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me."
The throwback photos he shared saw him and Matthew as their beloved characters Chandler Bing and Joey Tribbiani, in some up to their usual hijinks and in others, poignantly, the two appear in a tight embrace.
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The last photo he shared appears to be a behind-the-scenes moment from the set, where all six main stars are in a group hug.
Matt's comments section under the post was quickly flooded with fans expressing their own heartbreak, with one writing: "If we feel pain through someone we only knew on TV, I cannot imagine your immense loss," as others followed suit with: "I'm so sorry, still unbelievable!" and: "He changed the world for the better & will forever continue changing the world," as well as: "Sending my deepest condolences. We definitely lost one of the good ones," plus another fan added: "My heart hurts."
The cast of Friends first broke their silence on Matthew's passing in a statement to People on October 31.
They wrote: "We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family."
"There is so much to say, but right now we're going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss… In time we will say more, as and when we are able" they continued, and concluded: "For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty's family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."
Though Matt is the first of them to share a personal message to Matthew, all five of the main Friends cast were pictured attending their co-star's funeral in Los Angeles on November 3.
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