Matthew Perry, the star of Friends had a close bond with his assistant Briana Brancato, who he says "saved his life".
The actor, 54, who had struggled with addiction in the past was found unresponsive in a jacuzzi at his home in Los Angeles on Saturday, 28 October. It's reported that Matthew had been playing pickleball, a game similar to squash, for over an hour before he went home to relax.
When he got home, he asked his assistant to run an errand for him. When the assistant returned, they found Matthew unresponsive in the water and immediately called for help.
The name of his employee has not been revealed, but the actor had a long-term personal assistant called Briana Brancato. In his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Matthew refers to Briana as Erin and details how she stayed by his side every night for five months when he was in hospital after suffering from an exploded colon.
He recalls how she rushed him to UCLA, saying: "'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."
Matthew also shared that Briana "pulled the night shift for five months in the hospital". He met her when she was working at a 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.
"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 his book, Matthew shared how they both supported each other in their sobriety journey. "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 wrote. Matthew also clarified that their relationship was purely friendly.
After Matthew passed away, Briana posted a touching tribute on social media: "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.
"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 finished.
It's not known if Briana was the assistant who rang 999 after finding Matthew "unresponsive" in his hot tub.
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