Matthew Perry was playing pickleball shortly before his tragic and shocking death at age 54 on Saturday, and now his pickleball coach has broken his silence.
Matt Manasse, 35, told People that the game was an outlet and a tool that Perry had used to assist his sobriety.
“He thought it was something that might help together with his recovery,” Manasse said, referring to Perry’s struggles with addiction to alcohol and painkillers, which the “Friends” star was open about.
Perry reported last 12 months in his memoir that he had attended 6,000 AA meetings, gone to rehab 15 times, and been in detox 65 times. The actor once estimated he spent around $9 million attempting to get sober.
“And he was doing an awesome job,” Manasse, said. “He loved it. He got here out five times per week, would all the time speak about it. [He] got so a lot better, all the time made everyone laugh. He was competitive, just a real, good guy — caring for everyone. Pickleball was his outlet. He really looked forward to it. He was a competitive guy, not in a foul way in any respect…When he hit an unbelievable shot, he would inform you about it for days.”
Manasse – who has been called “pickleball coach to the celebrities” – teaches the game to clients on the Riviera Country Club, a non-public members club in Pacific Palisades near Perry’s home.
Perry’s explanation for death has not yet been made public, but he played pickleball hours before his reported drowning in a hot tub. In line with TMZ, no drugs were found on the scene and no foul play is suspected, but prescribed drugs were present in his home.
Manasse said that Perry was “doing rather well” before his death, and was also using the game to attempt to help other individuals who were staying on the rehab facility that he established.
“He had a lot that he was doing together with his rehab facility and attempting to get people clean,” Manasse said. “He would bring them to show them pickleball. He was just all the time attempting to help people.”
That features Manasse, who was attempting to construct his fame because the go-to pickleball coach, because the game grew in popularity in Hollywood.
Perry was supportive of his ambitions, and told him, “Whatever you wish. Anything you wish, I’m there for you,” said Manasse.
“That was just the form of guy he was. We went to dinner together. I used to be over at his place for the Super Bowl. He cared about other people. He was a extremely good person.”
The Post reached out to Manasse for comment.
Matthew Perry was playing pickleball shortly before his tragic and shocking death at age 54 on Saturday, and now his pickleball coach has broken his silence.
Matt Manasse, 35, told People that the game was an outlet and a tool that Perry had used to assist his sobriety.
“He thought it was something that might help together with his recovery,” Manasse said, referring to Perry’s struggles with addiction to alcohol and painkillers, which the “Friends” star was open about.
Perry reported last 12 months in his memoir that he had attended 6,000 AA meetings, gone to rehab 15 times, and been in detox 65 times. The actor once estimated he spent around $9 million attempting to get sober.
“And he was doing an awesome job,” Manasse, said. “He loved it. He got here out five times per week, would all the time speak about it. [He] got so a lot better, all the time made everyone laugh. He was competitive, just a real, good guy — caring for everyone. Pickleball was his outlet. He really looked forward to it. He was a competitive guy, not in a foul way in any respect…When he hit an unbelievable shot, he would inform you about it for days.”
Manasse – who has been called “pickleball coach to the celebrities” – teaches the game to clients on the Riviera Country Club, a non-public members club in Pacific Palisades near Perry’s home.
Perry’s explanation for death has not yet been made public, but he played pickleball hours before his reported drowning in a hot tub. In line with TMZ, no drugs were found on the scene and no foul play is suspected, but prescribed drugs were present in his home.
Manasse said that Perry was “doing rather well” before his death, and was also using the game to attempt to help other individuals who were staying on the rehab facility that he established.
“He had a lot that he was doing together with his rehab facility and attempting to get people clean,” Manasse said. “He would bring them to show them pickleball. He was just all the time attempting to help people.”
That features Manasse, who was attempting to construct his fame because the go-to pickleball coach, because the game grew in popularity in Hollywood.
Perry was supportive of his ambitions, and told him, “Whatever you wish. Anything you wish, I’m there for you,” said Manasse.
“That was just the form of guy he was. We went to dinner together. I used to be over at his place for the Super Bowl. He cared about other people. He was a extremely good person.”
The Post reached out to Manasse for comment.
