RIP

Matthew Perry's family is reflecting on the late actor's hopes before his untimely death at the age of 54 ... sharing the "Friends" star was eager to start a family of his own.

According to his mom, Suzanne, who sat down with the rest of Matthew's family for an interview with "TODAY" for the first anniversary of his death, her son was "so desperate for a solution" to his ongoing addiction problems ... as he felt "it was time" for him to have a wife and kids.

Suzanne suggested these personal goals led Matthew to seek out mental health treatment -- including ketamine infusion therapy -- which MP's mom said had a "frightening aspect" to his medication.

Ric Flair's stepson, Sebastian Kidder, sent a message to his father just before he died by suicide on Saturday, TMZ Sports has learned.

Ryan Winderweedle, a spokesperson for the Gwinnett County Police Dept., shared the heartbreaking detail with us on Monday ... explaining Kidder's biological dad, Paul, told police he received a text from Kidder at around 4 PM -- just before he passed away.

Winderweedle said Paul then placed a 911 call, and Kidder was found dead from a gunshot at the family's home a short time later. Winderweedle said investigators discovered an envelope with a note inside that was left on a table in Kidder's bedroom.

Jennifer Aniston is reflecting on her grief in the year since Matthew Perry died ... posting a poignant tribute to her late friend on social media.

The "Friends" star posted on Instagram Monday to commemorate the first anniversary of her costar's death ... sharing a number of sweet photos of them together from their time making the NBC sitcom.

Jennifer kept the caption short, but sweet ... selecting a dove emoji and a healing heart emoji next to a simple "1 year" message.

Ric Flair shared a heartbreaking farewell to his stepson, Sebastian Kidder ... saying the 24-year-old musician was "Multi-talented & in everybody’s eyes a huge success and will always be remembered that way."

The wrestling legend broke his silence after Sebastian's death ... explaining he unfortunately understands the agony of losing a child -- as his son, Reid, died of a drug overdose in 2013.

"I know the pain of your loss will be with you the rest of your life," Flair directed to Sebastian's parents, Wendy and Paul. "I still every day of my life think about Reid as you will continue to think about Sebastian."

Matthew Perry's family got together to talk about the "Friends" star one year after his death.

Matthew's stepfather, "Dateline's" Keith Morrison, his mom, Suzanne Morrison, along with 3 of his sisters, sat down with "Today's" Savannah Guthrie to reveal what they believe were critical factors in Matthew's death.

Madeline, one of Matthew's sisters, made the point that Matthew might not have even been aware he had relapsed. He was coming off a stretch of sobriety during and after his book tour, and was taking ketamine for therapeutic purposes. Perry then started getting ketamine on the black market and was taking massive doses on his own.

Ric Flair's stepson, Sebastian Kidder, an up-and-coming musician, has tragically died at the age of 24 after taking his own life, his mother Wendy Barlow confirmed to TMZ Sports, saying the family is heartbroken.

Kidder died after suffering a gunshot wound Saturday afternoon at the family home in Georgia. Police are currently investigating.

“I am devastated and shocked. This is an epidemic with your young men. And mental health..." Barlow told us.

Tragic news for the Cleveland Browns -- beloved play-by-play announcer Jim Donovan has passed away at 68 years old after a battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

The team announced the loss on Saturday ... with owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam saying it is an "incredibly difficult day" for the organization.

Donovan became the "Voice of the Cleveland Browns" upon the team's return to the NFL in 1999 ... and held the role for 25 seasons. Despite the team's overall lack of success during his tenure, the Boston native famously maintained an optimistic approach to each game day.

Madonna knows the "Power of Saying Goodbye" … visiting the gravesite of her late brother, Christopher Ciccone, after his death earlier this month.

Madonna documented her poignant visit to her late sibling’s grave – which is located in their home state of Michigan – by posting a number of intimate photos to her Instagram Stories Friday.

The Material Girl wasn’t alone on the trip to Christopher’s headstone, which she dubbed a “homecoming," as her daughter, Lourdes Leon, was by her side.

Liam Payne had a major TV project in the works before his sudden death last week ... and now the series' fate is unclear, TMZ has learned.

Sources tell TMZ ... producers for "Building the Band" -- a singing competition series set to debut on Netflix -- were "shocked and saddened" to learn of the One Direction alum's unexpected death.

Liam -- along with AJ McLean, Nicole Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland -- had already wrapped filming the show ... though, the show's premiere date was never announced.

Hip Hop luminary and producer DJ Clark Kent died on Thursday evening after a lengthy fight with colon cancer ... his family confirmed today.

According to their statement, the 58-year-old tried-and-true NYC native -- born Rodolfo A. Franklin -- passed away surrounded by his wife Kesha, daughter Kabriah and son Antonio, AKA Mage.

The family revealed Clark Kent quietly fought colon cancer for 3 years but still managed to spread his love for rap throughout the globe, and asked for prayers and privacy as they grieve together.

Rudy May, a former New York Yankees pitcher who once led the American League in ERA, has died at the age of 80, the club announced on Friday.

While the cause of May's death isn't known, a report on social media indicates he was "suffering from diabetes for a long time."

May's passing comes just before the start of the most anticipated World Series in decades ... featuring baseball's two biggest stars, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, from arguably the two most popular teams.

Phil Lesh, co-founder and bassist for The Grateful Dead, has died ... his official Instagram account announced Friday.

According to the update, Phil, who worked closely with late frontman Jerry Garcia for 3 decades, passed away "peacefully" Friday morning surrounded by his family.

The statement continued ... "Phil brought immense joy to everyone around him and leaves behind a legacy of music and love. We request that you respect the Lesh family’s privacy at this time."

Matthew Perry's mom, Suzanne Morrison, is opening up about her bond with her late son -- revealing it had suddenly taken a turn for the better ... almost as if he had a premonition about what was coming.

In a preview of an upcoming episode of "TODAY," set to air in full on October 28 -- the one-year anniversary of Matthew's death -- Suzanne recalled a particularly touching conversation with her son, who told her, "I love you so much, and I'm so happy to be with you now."

Suzanne emotionally explained ... "It was almost as though it was a premonition of something. I didn't think about it at the time, but I thought, 'How long has it been since we've had a conversation like that? It's been years.'"

Ex-NBA star Shareef Abdur-Rahim is opening up on his brother Amir's tragic death ... saying his loved ones are thankful for everyone who has shared their support following the news.

"On behalf of my family, I want to express our gratitude to all who have reached out regarding Amir's passing," the former Atlanta Hawks forward and current G League president  said in a brief statement on his X account.

"Please remember our family in your prayers. As @sunsetAMIR would say, to God be the Glory."

Nicole Scherzinger stayed friends with Liam Payne right up until his death ... with one of her Broadway colleagues revealing the two texted on the day he died.

Andrew Lloyd Webber -- famed composer of some of the biggest Broadway shows ever -- sat down for an interview with Billboard to talk about the "Sunset Boulevard" revival running on Broadway. Nicole stars in the show, and Andrew touted her for her composure.

Lloyd Webber says a chief example of this came on the day Liam passed ... saying Liam and Nicole were sending messages back and forth in the afternoon. She found out he passed just before the show -- but, still went out and put on a great performance for reviewers.

Jerry Hairston Jr. is one of many in the baseball world mourning the passing of Fernando Valenzuela this week ... telling TMZ Sports his admiration for the Dodgers legend was endless.

Hairston Jr. actually had the chance to work with the former pitcher over the last few years of his life ... as the two both had gigs broadcasting L.A. games -- and he had nothing but great experiences with the guy.

He told us he actually went golfing a few times with Valenzuela ... and the two shared many laughs while out on the course as well as at Dodger Stadium.