Matthew Perry explains his speech issues after Friends fans express concern

Matthew Perry has been in the spotlight more than usual lately as the Friends star just released his highly-anticipated memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. In his tell-all, the actor opens up about his struggle with addiction, near-death experiences, various romances, and of course, his time on the beloved sitcom. Perry is leaving nothing to the imagination as he talks about all the highs and lows of his life.

Fans know that Perry has had a years-long battle with alcoholism and drug abuse, something he’s not shied away from talking about. In recent years, fans have expressed concern for the actor given his background, especially when they’ve observed him slurring or seemingly having trouble speaking. This was true during Friends: The Reunion when the cast members got together for a scripted special.

Well, Perry is explaining why he’s had speech issues in an attempt to clear up all the assumptions and worries. During his recent sit-down interview with Diane Sawyer on Nightline, the TV host inquired about the “wear and tear” on the actor’s “voice and speech,” according to Yahoo! News. Perry, unsurprisingly, had no problem opening up about what happened.

According to the actor, he had to undergo emergency teeth surgery just before filming for the reunion special took place. Recalling the procedure where he needs to have all of his teeth replaced, he said, “They did all sorts of things.” He admitted that the surgery did make him sound off, but he didn’t want to miss the reunion just because of that.

Perry says he’s been 18 months sober now, something he’s “probably spent $9 million” on through treatments and various rehab facilities over the years.

Check out a clip from Perry’s interview with Diane Sawyer below:

Friends fans are no doubt appreciative of Perry’s vulnerability and wish him nothing but the best moving forward.