‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry dead at 54 after apparent drowning. Video / NZ Herald
Matthew Perry seemed to have developed a strange obsession with Batman over the years, referring to himself as “Mattman” in his final Instagram posts in the week before his tragic passing.
Perry’s fans have speculated that the actor was sending out his own “bat signal” in the run up tohis death after his lifelong battle with substance abuse. The Friends alum was found unresponsive in a spa pool at his Pacific Palisades home in California.
With the world still in mourning over the beloved star’s death, the LA County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed that his cause of death was inconclusive and “deferred”, with the investigation still “ongoing”, according to authorities.
In the past, Perry confessed that he saw himself as Batman - a young, damaged person who channeled the loss of his parents into being a crime-fighting vigilante with a strong sense of justice and responsibility to help others, reports Daily Mail.
He dubbed the DC superhero a “rich loner”, which he himself related to after being captivated by the films directed by Christopher Nolan in the mid 2000s.
His obsession was evident in seven of his last social media posts, which all mentioned Batman. One clip showing big flat screens showing the character’s logo, and a bat signal silhouette at the bottom of his pool.
The tortured superhero persona appears to be at-odds with the upbeat energy that Perry sought to spread in his final days.
Despite the tough life struggles Batman was faced with in the comics, he managed to turn that pain into a superpower to help others - which is what Perry tried to do when getting candid about his past addictions.
Perry frequently concluded his posts with “I’m Mattman” - his superhero-inspired nickname.
Perry captioned one of the posts: “No need to worry everybody. I’ve got the streets tonight.”
One of Perry’s friends told People Magazine that the star was “incredibly happy” in the days prior to his passing. Bringing up his Instagram posts, the pal said Perry was “having fun”.
Perry shared another picture of the bat signal lit up in red lights, with the message: “Sleep well everybody. I’ve got the city tonight — Mattman”, which was followed with a sign reading: “BATMAN PLAYS PICKLEBALL”.
Pickleball was the sport Perry is said to have been playing just hours before his passing.
His penultimate picture on Instagram was of a half-moon in the sky, captioned: “Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you? — I’m Mattman”.
Matthew Perry was found unresponsive at his California home. Photo / Michelle Groskopf, The New York Times
