BAFTAs criticized after Matthew Perry left out of in memoriam segment

Matthew Perry was omitted from the in memoriam segment at the BAFTAs on Sunday, but will be included in The Academy's Television Awards ceremony in May.

Feb 18, 2024 - 23:36
BAFTAs criticized after Matthew Perry left out of in memoriam segment

Matthew Perry's absence from the in memoriam segment during the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards Sunday sparked backlash among social media users.

"Ted Lasso" star Hannah Waddingham performed a solo rendition of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" as part of the segment, which honored "those in the film industry who have sadly passed away in the last 12 months," according to the Academy.

The late "Friends" actor died on Oct. 28 from "acute effects of ketamine" with other conditions that contributed to his death, including "coronary artery disease, buprenorphine effects," his autopsy report said. He was 54.

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Despite Perry having an extensive resume of film credits to his name, the late actor was not included in the remembrance. 

"Matthew Perry will be remembered in our forthcoming BAFTA Television Awards in May 2024," a BAFTA representative confirmed to Fox News Digital following the ceremony.

Social media users flocked to X, formerly known as Twitter, to vent their frustrations about Matthew's name missing from the touching moment. 

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"No mention of Matthew Perry in the #BAFTAs memorial?! Bad form @BAFTA," one user wrote with an image of Perry's popular "Friends" character, Chandler Bing.

"#BAFTAs forgetting the great Matthew Perry tonight was bad!" another user wrote.

"Hannah Waddingham's voice is so beautiful. It's a shame BAFTA left Matthew Perry off the list though," one viewer tweeted.

Another user noted, "No Matthew Perry in the #BAFTAs memorium?? Feels a tad disrespectful. Did they just forget?"

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In addition to his work on television, Perry starred in dozens of films, including "The Whole Nine Yards," "Fools Rush In," "17 Again," and "The Ron Clark Story."

Perry sought "ketamine infusion therapy" as a form of treatment for his depression and anxiety less than two weeks before his death, according to an autopsy released by the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner. 

He admitted to having extensive experience with the anesthetic drug and wrote about "doing ketamine infusions every day" in his 2022 memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing."

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His autopsy was completed Oct. 29 and his cause of death was initially listed as "deferred," pending toxicology results. No foul play was suspected, and no illegal drugs were reportedly found at the scene of his Pacific Palisades home where he died. Perry was laid to rest Nov. 3 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

Perry was 24 years old when he began portraying his most famous character, Chandler Bing.

"Friends," one of the most-watched shows on television during its decade-long run on NBC, also starred Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer.

"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew," the cast wrote in a statement shortly after his death. "There is so much to say, but right now we're going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss… our thoughts and our love are with Matty's family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."