RIP

George Clooney is speaking out publicly about the death of Matthew Perry ... saying the actor wasn't happy on the set of his hit sitcom, "Friends."

Clooney sat for an interview published Tuesday in Deadline to promote his new film, "The Boys In the Boat," -- and he opened up about his relationship with Perry dating back to the '90s when they first met and played paddle ball together.

At the time, Perry was 16 and searching for success, desperately trying to get on a sitcom. Clooney described Perry as a "great, funny, funny, funny kid."

One day, Clooney said he was chatting with Perry, who told him, "I just want to get on a regular sitcom and I would be the happiest man on earth."

Perry got his wish, scoring a leading role as Chandler Bing on "Friends," which Clooney noted was "probably one of the best ever" TV shows.

Yet, Perry still wasn’t happy, Clooney said, because it "didn’t bring him joy or happiness or peace."

Back then, the two stars worked on the Warner Brothers lot next to each other -- and Clooney recalled it was "hard to watch" Perry because "we didn't know what was going through him."

Clooney insisted he had no idea Perry was popping 12 Vicodin a day and "all the stuff he talked about, all that heartbreaking stuff."

Clooney added that money and success do not automatically translate into happiness, explaining, "You have to be happy with yourself and your life."

As you know ... Perry died of "the acute effects of ketamine," a drug used to treat depression and is sometimes taken recreationally. The L.A. Coroner found several contributing factors: drowning, coronary artery disease, and buprenorphine effects. Buprenorphine is used to ween addicts off opioids.

George Clooney está hablando públicamente sobre la muerte de Matthew Perry, diciendo que el actor no era feliz en el set de su exitosa comedia "Friends".

Clooney dio una entrevista publicada el martes por Deadline para promocionar su nueva película "The Boys In the Boat" y en ella se abrió sobre su relación con Perry, la que se remonta a los años 90, cuando se conocieron y jugaron al pádel juntos.

En ese momento, Perry tenía 16 años y buscaba el éxito, tratando desesperadamente de entrar a una comedia. Clooney describió a Perry como un "chico genial, divertido, gracioso".

Un día, Clooney dijo que estaba charlando con Perry, quien le dijo: "Solo quiero entrar en una comedia sitcom, sería el hombre más feliz de la tierra".

Perry cumplió su deseo con el papel protagonista de Chandler Bing en "Friends", de la que Clooney dijo que era "probablemente una de las mejores series de televisión de la historia".

Sin embargo, Perry siguió sin sentirse contento, dijo Clooney, porque "no le traía alegría, ni felicidad, ni paz".

En aquel entonces, las dos estrellas trabajaron en el lote de Warner Brothers, uno al lado del otro, y Clooney recordó que era "difícil ver" a Perry porque "no sabíamos lo que estaba pasando con él".

Clooney insistió en que no tenía ni idea de que Perry tomaba 12 Vicodin al día y "todas las cosas de las que hablaba, todas esas cosas desgarradoras".

Clooney añadió que el dinero y el éxito no se traducen automáticamente en felicidad, explicando: "Tienes que ser feliz contigo mismo y con tu vida".

Como ustedes saben, Perry murió a causa de "los efectos agudos de la ketamina", una droga utilizada para tratar la depresión y que a veces se toma de forma recreativa. El forense de Los Ángeles encontró varios factores contribuyentes, como el ahogamiento, enfermedad de las arterias coronarias y los efectos de la buprenorfina. La buprenorfina se utiliza para desintoxicar a los adictos a los opiáceos.

Bray Wyatt's dad, Mike Rotunda, is opening up on his constant grief following the late WWE Superstar's tragic death ... saying life without his son has been nothing short of a "nightmare."

Rotunda -- who was famous in his own right as a wrestler for decades, most notably as Irwin R. Schuster -- joined the "Wrasslin Talk with Mayor McCall" podcast to discuss Wyatt (real name Windham Rotunda) ... and, understandably, he's still struggling to come to terms with the loss.

"It's been really hard," Rotunda said. "We miss him every day."

"[My kids] would come with me and stay on the road, wherever I was wrestling ... and it's so hard to wake up out of this nightmare and he's still not there."

Rotunda explained Windham was supposed to get married to his partner, Jojo, recently ... making it an especially challenging time for his family.

Rotunda praised WWE for helping his family by giving Windham a Legends contract among other gestures ... which will allow his four children to receive financial help from merchandise sales.

"He was a jolly fellow," Rotunda continued. "He loved to laugh, he was loud, always laughing and he lit up a room. He lit up the wrestling business. People come up to me and have a story with Windham and say, 'He took the time to sit there and bulls*** with me for 10 or 15 minutes when he's supposed to be signing autographs.' So many people come up and support him by wearing Windham's stuff, and they have a story about him. He was that kind of person."

As we previously reported, Windham -- who experienced heart complications leading up to his death -- passed away while taking a nap at his home in August.

Matthew Perry's death being pinned on ketamine by the Coroner is misleading, and puts the drug in a bad light -- so says an M.D. who's prescribed it to his own patients.

Dr. Zaid Fadul -- the Medical Director at BetterU and an expert in addiction medicine -- tells TMZ ... the L.A. County Coroner Office's finding last week that Perry died from the acute effects of ketamine doesn't really explain how he died ... at least in his professional opinion.

Yes, ketamine happened to be in Matt's system at the time of his death -- and might have been the reason he dozed off in his hot tub ... but obviously, the "Friends" actor drowned.

Dr. Fadul's point here is ... any kind of drug that spurs sedation would've likely had the same effect, and he feels like blaming MP's tragic passing on ketamine alone -- without this context -- isn't fair, and that might deter people from seeking it out as a viable option.

Now, on the issue of whether Perry had used ketamine the day he died or not -- Dr. Fadul has a theory on that as well. According to him, Matt was likely experienced with ketamine and was taking ever-increasing doses, which might've left some residual.

He adds, that residual amount could've been super high, if Matt had a high tolerance to the drug and was taking high doses. He also believes Perry wasn't only taking ketamine through an IV.

Remember, the coroner's report on Perry's cause of death noted he'd been involved in ketamine infusion therapy in the months leading up to this -- but pointed out he'd been weaning off of it thanks to a new doctor who found he didn't need as much these days.

Ketamine is often used as a treatment for depression and anxiety, which is why Matt had been taking it ... but because his ketamine levels were so elevated when he died, it's unclear Matt was taking it therapeutically or recreationally.

The implication from the report seems to be pointing to the latter. Dr. Fadul, though, isn't so sure that's accurate.

La muerte de Matthew Perry se le atribuye a la ketamina, y esto le otorga a la droga una mala reputación injustamente adquirida. Esto según un terapeuta que le ha prescrito ketamina a sus propios pacientes.

El Dr. Zaid Fadul —Director Médico de BetterU y experto en medicina de la adicción— le dice a TMZ que el forense del Condado de Los Ángeles que dijo que Perry murió por los efectos agudos de la ketamina no explica realmente cómo murió, al menos en su opinión profesional.

Sí, la ketamina pasó a estar en el sistema de Matt en el momento de su muerte y puede haber sido la razón por la que se quedó dormido en su bañera de hidromasaje, pero obviamente el actor de "Friends" se ahogó.

El punto del Dr. Fadul es que cualquier tipo de droga que estimula la sedación probablemente habría tenido el mismo efecto, y siente que culpar solamente a la ketamina por la trágica muerte es injusto y es algo que podría hacer que la gente no considere el tratamiento como una opción viable.

Ahora bien, sobre la cuestión de si Perry había consumido ketamina el día de su muerte o no, el Dr. Fadul también tiene una teoría al respecto en esta entrevista. Según él, Matt probablemente tenía experiencia con la ketamina y tomaba dosis cada vez mayores, lo que podría haber dejado algún residuo.

Recordemos que el informe del forense sobre la causa de la muerte de Perry señaló que había estado involucrado en una terapia de infusión de ketamina durante los meses previos a su muerte, pero señaló que había estado disminuyendo gracias a un nuevo médico que encontró que no necesitaba tanto en estos días.

La ketamina se utiliza a menudo como un tratamiento eficaz para la depresión y la ansiedad, y es la razón por la que Matt la había tomado, pero a los ojos del forense, el jurado no sabe si la ketamina en el sistema de Matt era para ese propósito o si era recreativa. La implicación del informe parece apuntar a lo segundo.

Norman Lear, the TV icon famous for creating "All In The Family," died from heart issues ... TMZ has learned.

Norman's official cause of death is listed as cardiac arrest, according to his death certificate. The doc, obtained by TMZ, also lists congestive heart failure as an underlying cause of death.

As we reported ... Norman died earlier this month at his home in Beverly Hills from what his publicist said was natural causes. He was 101.

Norman made a seismic impact on American culture and social change over a long career in Hollywood ... creating hit shows like "The Jeffersons," "Sanford and Son," "Good Times," "One Day at a Time," and "Diff'rent' Strokes" in addition to "All In The Family."

Norman's longtime TV career gets a nod on his death certificate ... the doc notes he spent 80 years as a writer-producer in the entertainment biz.

Following his death, Norman got a touching tribute from Henry Winkler ... remembering Norman as a forward-thinking man who used art to help Americans see the best and worst in themselves.

James McCaffrey -- an actor best known for voicing the popular video game character Max Payne -- has died after a battle with cancer ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for the star tells us McCaffrey passed away Sunday surrounded by friends and family. We're told he'd been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, and that he ultimately succumbed to the disease.

His rep notes ... "One of Dick Wolf's proteges (""Swift Justice), McCaffrey went on to a successful 35 year career in television and film. Trained at the Actor's Studio, he never lost his love for creating characters; however, his good looks often pushed him toward leading man roles."

Word of McCaffrey's death first started to spread through a post from "Entourage" star Kevin Dillon -- who honored his friend with a photo of the both of them and a remembrance.

Like we mentioned, McCaffrey will perhaps best be remembered for serving as the voice actor for the 'Max Payne' video game series -- which included at least 3 installments -- but his resume went well beyond just that ... with TV and movie roles on big time shows.

The series he famously appeared in was "Rescue Me," where he portrayed Jimmy Keefe for 56 episodes between 2004 and 2011. Other shows he starred in included ... "Revenge," "Beautiful People," "Law & Order: SVU," "As the World Turns," "Swift Justice," "Civil Wars," "Canterbury's Law," "Suits," "Blue Bloods," "Bluff City Law," "She's Gotta Have It" and more.

Of course, he was also one of the leads for the famed "Viper" way back in the '90s. And McCaffrey acted in a number of major films as well -- "The Truth About Cats & Dogs," "The Big Take," "A Gifted Man," "American Splendor," "She Hate Me" ... just to name a few.

McCaffrey is survived by his wife Rochelle Bostrom ... and daughter Tiernan. He was 65.

James McCaffrey  —un actor más conocido por poner voz al popular personaje de videojuegos Max Payne— ha muerto después de una batalla contra el cáncer TMZ ha indagado.

Un representante de la estrella nos dice McCaffrey falleció el domingo rodeado de amigos y familiares. Nos han dicho que había sido diagnosticado con mieloma múltiple y que finalmente sucumbió a la enfermedad.

Su representante señala "McCaffrey, uno de los protegidos de Dick Wolf ("Swift Justice"), desarrolló una exitosa carrera de 35 años en televisión y cine. Formado en el Actor's Studio, nunca perdió su amor por la creación de personajes; sin embargo, su buena apariencia a menudo le empujaba hacia papeles de protagonista".

La noticia de la muerte de McCaffrey comenzó a difundirse a través de un post de la estrella de "Entourage" Kevin Dillon, que honró a su amigo con una foto de los dos y un recuerdo.

Como ya hemos mencionado, McCaffrey es quizás más recordado por haber sido el actor de doblaje de la serie de videojuegos "Max Payne", que incluía al menos 3 entregas, pero su currículum iba mucho más allá... con papeles en televisión y cine en grandes series.

La serie en la que apareció fue "Rescue Me", donde interpretó a Jimmy Keefe durante 56 episodios entre 2004 y 2011. Otros programas que protagonizó incluyeron ... "Revenge", "Beautiful People", "Ley y orden: SVU", "As the World Turns", "Swift Justice", "Civil Wars", "Canterbury's Law", "Suits", "Blue Bloods", "Bluff City Law", "She's Gotta Have It" y más.

Por supuesto, también fue uno de los protagonistas de la famosa serie "Víper" allá por los 90. McCaffrey también actuó en varias películas importantes: "La verdad sobre perros y gatos", "La gran apuesta", "Un hombre superdotado", "American Splendor", "Ella me odia", por nombrar algunas.

A McCaffrey le sobreviven su esposa Rochelle Bostrom y su hija Tiernan. Tenía 65 años.

Mama June's granddaughters are taking their mother's death very hard ... and the family is thinking about sending them to talk with therapists.

Family sources tell TMZ ... Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell's daughters are reeling from the recent loss of their mom, grieving and trying to take things day by day.

Anna died Dec. 9 and her funeral was Wednesday in Georgia, where her 11-year-old daughter Kaitlyn worked up the courage to speak.

We're told Kaitlyn had no intention of speaking at her mom's funeral, but her feelings changed when she was at the funeral home ... and she shared memories of her time with Anna, some of which brought laughs.

While Kaitlyn was able to open up and reflect at the funeral, the family is discussing the benefits of having her talk with a therapist moving forward. As we first told you, Mama June now has custody of Kaitlyn.

Our sources say Kaitlyn was very involved in Anna's cancer battle, making sure her mom took her medicine and sticking by her side throughout the process. So there's a lot to unpack.

Anna's youngest daughter is 8-year-old Kylee, who is now living with her biological father, Michael.

Because of Kylee's age, we're told it's been harder for her to understand her mom's death ... and she's been leaning on her friends for support and went back to school Friday, which the family sees as a good sign. The school had a field trip, we're told, and the family felt it was a good time for Kylee to go back.

Unclear if Kylee's dad will get her in a room with a therapist, but we're told the family wants her to at least have someone to talk to.

Eric Montross -- the ninth overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft -- has passed away after a battle with cancer, his family announced Monday.

He was just 52 years old.

Montross was a star for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels ... winning a national championship in 1993 before playing eight seasons in the pros for the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors.

"The family of Eric Montross (Laura, Sarah, Andrew, and Megan) is announcing that he passed away on Sunday, December 17, surrounded by loved ones at his home in Chapel Hill," a statement released by UNC said.

"Eric was diagnosed with cancer in March 2023, and his family is grateful for the tremendous support and the truly overwhelming love expressed by so many people as he battled with his signature determination and grace."

"They also thank the many members of the medical community -- and particularly those at UNC Lineberger Cancer Center -- who matched his fight with equal passion. To know Eric was to be his friend, and the family knows that the ripples from the generous, thoughtful way that he lived his life will continue in the lives of the many people he touched with his deep and sincere kindness."

Montross was an All-American for UNC ... and received All-ACC honors in 1993 and 1994.

Las nietas de Mama June se están tomando la muerte de su madre con mucho dolor y la familia está pensando en enviarlos a terapia.

Fuentes de la familia le dicen a TMZ que las hijas de Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell están bastante heridas por la reciente pérdida de su madre. El duelo ha sido muy duro y están tratando de vivir las cosas día a día.

Anna murió el 9 de diciembre y su funeral fue el miércoles en Georgia, donde su hija de 11 años de edad, Kaitlyn se armó de valor para hablar.

Nos informan que Kaitlyn no tenía intención de hablar en el funeral de su madre, pero sus sentimientos cambiaron cuando llegó a la funeraria. Allí compartió recuerdos de su tiempo con Anna, algunas anécdotas incluso causaron risas.

Aunque Kaitlyn pudo abrirse y reflexionar en el funeral, la familia está discutiendo los beneficios de que hable con un terapeuta en el futuro. Como te contamos por primera vez, Mama June tiene ahora la custodia de Kaitlyn.

Nuestras fuentes dicen que Kaitlyn estuvo muy involucrada en la batalla contra el cáncer de Anna, asegurándose de que su madre tomara su medicina y permaneciendo a su lado durante todo el proceso.

La hija menor de Anna es Kylee, de 8 años, que ahora vive con su padre biológico, Michael.

Nos cuentan que debido a la edad de Kylee, le ha sido más difícil procesar la muerte de su madre. Ella ha estado apoyándose en sus amigos y volvió a la escuela el viernes, lo que la familia ve como una buena señal. La escuela tenía un viaje de campo y la familia sintió que era un buen momento para que Kylee volviera.

No está claro si el padre de Kylee la llevará con un terapeuta, pero nos dicen que la familia quiere que al menos tenga a alguien con quien hablar.

Matthew Perry tenía suficiente ketamina en su organismo como para haber quedado incapacitado o inconsciente, lo que provocó que se ahogara, según los resultados de la autopsia.

Según el forense del condado de Los Ángeles, los niveles de ketamina de Perry eran de 3.540 ng/ml. Cuando los pacientes de cirugía se les da anestesia, los niveles de ketamina están en el rango de 1.000 - 6.000, por lo que Perry estaba en el rango más alto.

En otras palabras, la cantidad de ketamina en su sistema era equivalente a la anestesia que algunos pacientes reciben antes de la cirugía. Perry podría haberse desorientado lo suficiente como para ahogarse.

TMZ lo dijo primero, Perry fue encontrado muerto en su bañera de hidromasaje en octubre.

Según el forense, a Perry le habían recetado ketamina para la depresión y la ansiedad, aunque también se utiliza como droga recreativa. La tomaba cada dos días, pero hace 6 meses un nuevo médico intentó deshabituarle de ese régimen porque había mostrado signos de mejoría.

La última dosis prescrita fue una semana y media antes de su muerte, y los efectos generalmente solo duran unas 6 horas. Así que parece que el actor de 54 años pudo haber tomado la ketamina poco antes de meterse en el jacuzzi.

Matthew Perry had enough ketamine in his system that he could have been rendered incapacitated or unconscious, causing him to drown ... based on autopsy findings.

According to the L.A. County Medical Examiner, Perry's ketamine levels were 3,540 ng/ml. When surgery patients are given anesthesia, ketamine levels are in the 1,000 - 6,000 range, so Perry was in the higher range.

In other words, the amount of ketamine in his system was equivalent to the anesthesia some patients get before surgery. Perry could have just become disoriented enough that he drowned.

TMZ broke the story, Perry was found dead in his hot tub back in October.

According to the M.E., Perry had been prescribed ketamine for depression and anxiety, although it is also used as a recreational drug. He was taking it every other day, but 6 months ago a new doctor tried to ween him off that regiment because he had showed signs of improvement.

The last prescribed dose was a week and a half before his death, and the effects generally only last around 6 hours. So it appears the 54-year-old actor may have taken the ketamine shortly before getting in the hot tub.

The tragedy here ... had he not been in the hot tub, he could well be alive today.

Jack Axelrod -- a longtime TV actor most famous from 'General Hospital' -- has died.

His rep confirmed his death to Entertainment Weekly, saying he passed on Nov. 28 in L.A. from natural causes. She adds, "I had the pleasure of spending a lot of time with him in his last years, as he had no immediate family. We spent much time outdoors, where Jack loved to sketch, read news articles, and recite Shakespearean sonnets."

Like we said, Axelrod will likely best be remembered for playing Victor Jerome on 'GH' for 40 episodes back in the '80s ... but he had a long and illustrious career outside of that too.

In addition to lending his services to the famed soap, Axelrod also famously guest starred on 'Grey's Anatomy' in the 2000s for a few episodes, during which he played Charlie Yost opposite Katherine Heigl and Ellen Pompeo.

Other famous shows he'd been in ... 'My Name is Earl,' 'Scrubs,' 'Malcolm in the Middle,' 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,' 'The Help,' 'Dallas,' 'Hill Street Blues,' 'Kojak,' 'Dynasty,' 'Night Court,' 'Knots Landing,' 'Murphy Brown,' 'Everybody Loves Raymond,' 'Boy Meets World,' 'Jack & Jill,' 'Dharma and Greg,' 'Star Trek: Voyager,' 'Alias,' 'Frasier,' 'Hawthorne,' 'Criminal Minds,' 'NCIS,' 'Hawaii Five-0,' 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine,' 'Ray Donovan,' 'Modern Family' ... and more.

He was very much so a veteran thespian, and he worked a lot. Axelrod was 93.

Colin Burgess -- the original drummer for AC/DC -- has died, this according to the heavy metal band's Facebook page.

In a statement posted Friday night, the iconic group wrote, "Very sad to hear of the passing of Colin Burgess. He was our first drummer and a very respected musician. Happy memories, rock in peace Colin." His cause of death was not disclosed.

In 1973, Burgess became a member of AC/DC with sibling guitarists Angus and Malcolm Young, singer Dave Evans and bassist Larry Van Kriedt.

Burgess didn't last very long after AC/DC cut their first hit, "Can I Sit Next to You Girl" and played their first gig at Chequers nightclub in Sydney, Australia.

Within a year, Burgess was given the boot after the band accused him of getting wasted on stage during a 1974 performance. The drummer tried to save his job by claiming someone had spiked his drink, but his excuse fell on deaf ears.

AC/DC replaced him with a number of other drummers, including longtime member Phil Rudd. The group even re-recorded "Can I Sit Next To You Girl" with Rudd on drums.

Burgess also played drums in a popular Australian rock band called The Masters Apprentices between 1968 to 1972. In 1988, he and the other members of the group were inducted into Australia's ARIA Hall Of Fame.

Burgess was 77.

Colin Burgess, el baterista original de AC/DC, ha muerto, según informa la página oficial de Facebook de la banda de heavy metal.

En un comunicado publicado el viernes por la noche, el emblemático grupo escribió: "Estamos muy triste por el fallecimiento de Colin Burgess. Fue nuestro primer baterista y un músico muy respetado. Felices recuerdos, rockea en paz Colin". Su causa de muerte no fue revelada.

En 1973, Burgess se convirtió en miembro de AC/DC junto a sus hermanos guitarristas Angus y Malcolm Young, el cantante Dave Evans y el bajista Larry Van Kriedt.

Burgess no duró mucho después de que AC/DC grabara su primer éxito, "Can I Sit Next to You Girl" y diera su primer concierto en el club nocturno Chequers de Sydney en Australia.

Al cabo de un año, Burgess fue despedido después de que la banda lo acusara de emborracharse en el escenario durante una actuación en 1974. El baterista intentó salvar su puesto alegando que alguien le había echado algo en la bebida, pero su excusa no fue escuchada.

AC/DC lo sustituyó por otros bateristas, incluido Phil Rudd, miembro desde hacía mucho tiempo. El grupo incluso volvió a grabar "Can I Sit Next To You Girl" con Rudd en la batería.

Burgess también tocó la batería en una popular banda de rock australiana llamada The Masters Apprentices entre 1968 y 1972. En 1988, él y los demás miembros del grupo fueron incluidos en el ARIA Hall Of Fame de Australia.

Burgess tenía 77 años.