Matthew Perry's 2024 Emmys In Memoriam 'snub' explained as Friends fans fume

Fans of Friends were left stunned when Matthew Perry's name was noticeably absent from the Emmys In Memoriam at the 76th Emmy Awards on Sunday night.

Scores of fans took to X, previously known as Twitter, to highlight the omission of the TV star from the Memoriam segment during the awards ceremony. "Did I miss it or did the Emmy's not show Matthew Perry? ? ? ? " one fan questioned on X. Another user expressed their disbelief, stating, "How in the world did the Emmys not include Matthew Perry? ! ? ! ".

Matthew Perry tragically passed away due to a ketamine overdose in October of 2023, aged just 54. While it may appear that the author of Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing was overlooked at the esteemed event last night, there is a logical explanation for this. The reason being that he was already honoured at the 2023 Emmy Awards, which were postponed until January 2024 instead of their usual September 2023 slot due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.

During the 2023 Emmy Awards, the ceremony paid a touching tribute to Matthew. The iconic Friends theme song, I'll Be There For You, played during the Memoriam segment, concluding with a photo of Matthew, a leading actor in the popular 90s show. Matthew's Friends co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer were noticeably absent from an earlier show segment in 2023.

The Emmys executive producer for this year, Jeannae Rouzan-Clay, opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about the situation saying: "still very fresh for them." Furthermore, at that time, the Co-executive producer Jesse Collins shed light on the team's decision-making, stating they considered bringing the cast in "early on" in the planning stages. On contemplating the cast's feelings, Jesse observed that they were "mourning someone who was still very close to them." Elaborating on the sensitivity of the matter, he remarked: "I can't speak for them, but we all have to respect that they were their own family. It was probably just a little too soon."

Matthew's co-stars haven't shied away from expressing the loss they feel; nearly a year after his passing, the Emmy-nominated actor is deeply missed. Courteney opened up about her enduring bond with Matthew, candidly sharing with CBS Sunday Morning in May: "[Matthew] visits me a lot, if we believe in that," "I talk to my mom, my dad, Matthew. I feel like there are a lot of people that guide us. I sense Matthew's around for sure." She added more about her gratitude and connections: "I'm grateful that I had that opportunity to work with such wonderful people and to live the life that I have now. That was my family. We went through everything. Those 10 years were everything."

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