Matthew Perry was looking ‘happy and healthy’ days before his death

Matthew Perry passed away at 54. Photo / Getty Images

Matthew Perry was looking “happy and healthy” in his final days, according to Athenna Crosby.

The former Friends star died on Sunday aged 54 after battling addiction for a number of years and his friend Athenna - who was pictured having lunch with the actor the day before he died - has now explained he was “doing super well” with his sobriety before his death.

She told People: “He was looking to just meet creative people who would obviously support him on his goals. Honestly, I just think he was really just nice and generous to be able to meet with me.

“Obviously, if he’s a big celebrity, he doesn’t need to meet with anybody, but he agreed to and was so nice and I was just getting to know him better and seeing if there were any things that we had in common and things that maybe we could do together in the future. He was doing super well in his sobriety. He looked happy. He looked healthy.”

The model went on to add that Matthew - who is thought to have died in an apparent drowning after being found lifeless in his jacuzzi - was “totally normal” in the days before his death and noted how, to her, he seemed to be feeling optimistic about the future.

The stars of "Friends," from left, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox Arquette, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc pose after the show won Outstanding Comedy Series at the 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in 2022. Photo / AP

She said: “I’m not a friend of the family or a close friend or anything, so I am just here to clear the air and say there was nothing weird going on. He was totally normal, he was super nice. He was looking forward to life, and that’s the extent of… what I saw the day before he passed away.”

Matthew died in a suspected drowning, and police said there were no signs of foul play at the scene of his death, but the LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Division has taken over the investigation.

TMZ reported on Wednesday: “It may come as a surprise to some because foul play is not suspected at this point, but cops say it’s just standard procedure for (its Robbery Homicide Division to investigate) high-profile cases.”