31 October 2023 , 11:09
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Matthew Perry had a very close years-long relationship with his "best friend" and assistant Briana Brancato who "saved his life".
In his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, the Friends star describes Briana under the pseudonym 'Erin', but states that she sat by his bedside every night for five months when he was in hospital after suffering from an exploded colon. He explained how she pushed past the nurses and bundled him into her car and made their way to UCLA.
"'I have to go fast,' Erin said, her brown, compassionate eyes looking over at me with concern and fear. 'We have to get you there now.' It was right about here that I drifted out of consciousness," Matthew wrote. "She saved my life at the rehab when my insides exploded, and she saves it every day still.
"Erin pulled the night shift for five months in that hospital," he added after sharing that he'd met Briana when she was working at rehab clinic, writing: "In the sober living house in Southern California, I had a view of West LA and two queen-size beds.' The other bed, he said, was occupied by Erin.
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Matthew and Briana were close friends (mattyperry4/Instagram)
She previously worked at his rehab clinic (brianabrancato/Instagram)"I'd met her two years earlier, at another rehab where she had been working at the time. I didn't get sober back then, but I saw how wonderful she was in every way and promptly stole her from that sober living rehab and made her my assistant, and she became my best friend."
In the final passages of his memoir, Matthew explained they bonded over their struggles with sobriety, with Briana having recently quit smoking cigarettes at the time. "I can tell she's itching for a cigarette, but she doesn't break. Find a friend who'll quit something with you—you'll be amazed what that does for a friendship.
"She's always there when I need her, Erin, Erin, Erin … She saved my life at the rehab when my insides exploded, and she saves it every day still. Who knows what I'd do without her; I intend to never find out," he concluded. Matthew insisted that things were purely platonic between the pair.
In the wake of his death, Briana wrote a heartfelt message on social media, along with pictures with Matthew: "I've expressed my deepest gratitude to him on numerous occasions, not only for guiding me into a career I cherish but also for allowing me to take care of him for 7 years.
Matthew died over the weekend (Brian Ach/Invision/AP)"Along w [with] the countless other experiences I'm thankful for. From witnessing him in his genius to sharing in his worldly adventures living around the world, he took me on a remarkable journey. My heart is heavy, but celebrating my memories is the most profound way to honor his legacy.
"I hope that up there, in the great beyond, Mattman is sending us signs. We truly need them. You'll forever be in my heart. I love you Matty," she concluded.
It's unclear whether Briana was the assistant who made the 911 call after finding Matthew "unresponsive" in his hot tub.