The mystery woman spotted out for lunch with Matthew Perry the day before he died has finally broken her silence.
Athenna Crosby, a 25-year-old model and entertainment reporter, has identified herself as the woman who was photographed with Matthew at Hotel Bel-Air last Friday.
In a post shared on her Instagram Story, she wrote “I am so devastated from his death but felt it was in poor taste to talk about it publicly as the attention should not be on me but rather on him and his legacy and he was an extremely private person and I always respected that in our friendship.”
“But indeed, we were friends and I was one of the last people to speak to him and see him before he passed.”
Athenna said Matthew was in “extremely good spirits” during their meeting, and chatted “enthusiastically about the things that he had coming up in his life.”
“He was so happy and vibrant,” she added.
The 25-year-old also confirmed to TMZ that their lunch date was not romantic, and that they met through a mutual friend a few months ago.
She also claimed Matthew was excited about losing weight and playing pickleball the following day.
According to reports, the actor played pickleball with a friend for two hours on Saturday before he was found dead in his hot tub just hours later.
The 54-year-old, best known for playing Chandler Bing in the hit US sitcom Friends, was found unresponsive in his hot tub by an assistant at around 4pm on Saturday, October 28th.
The LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division is handling Perry’s death investigation, but “foul play is not suspected at this time.”
TMZ previously reported that although first responders didn’t find any illicit drugs at the scene, they found numerous prescription drugs.
Police told the publication that Matthew was on anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs and COPD medication.
The Canadian actor found fame in the 1990s when sitcom Friends – which he starred in alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer – became an international hit.
Friends ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004.
The news comes after Matthew’s Friends co-stars — Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer — broke their silence on his death in a joint statement.
They said: “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,” the statement continues. “For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
