Disgraced “Empire” star Jussie Smollett was recently spotted reading the memoir of actor Matthew Perry who passed away two months ago.
Perry’s memoir detailed his long battle with substance abuse amongst several other struggles he faced during his lifetime.
Smollett’s latest sighting with the memoir raises eyebrows as he’s currently in rehab seeking treatment for substance abuse.
Jussie Smollett Pictured Reading Matthew Perry’s Memoir
In recent photos of Smollett, he was seen on a solo outing reading Perry’s memoir titled, “ Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.”
The actor, who passed away in October 2023 from the “acute effects of ketamine,” as confirmed by The Blast, released the memoir last year to share a vulnerable side of himself. In the book, he went in-depth about his struggles with alcohol and substance abuse and the ways it affected his health.
For the solo trip, Smollett donned a grey shirt inside of a black jacket with a hoodie, along with black pants to match. The actor had a laptop by his side and could be seen occasionally using his smartphone while browsing through the pages of Perry’s memoir.
Smollett himself has had a very tough past few years due to the hate crime hoax he was embroiled in which led to him getting sentenced to jail and probation in March 2022. Now, the actor is trying to get his life back on track as he reportedly checked himself into rehab.
See the photos of Smollett reading the book…Here.
Jussie Smollett Checks Into Rehab
Pictures of Smollett reading Perry’s memoir come amid his recent rehab stint. The actor is currently at a rehab facility, which he entered in October, as an outpatient for substance abuse.
A statement from Smollett’s rep read at the time, “Jussie has had an extremely difficult past few years. He has quietly been working very hard for some time now and we are proud of him for taking these necessary steps.”
During his hate crime hoax trial in 2022, Smollett’s alleged substance abuse came up several times, with the Osundairo brothers claiming that they helped the actor acquire several illegal substances.
In addition to spending the first 150 days of his sentence in jail, the actor was given a 30-month felony probationary period and mandated to pay a $25,000 fine and $120,106 in restitution. But, after spending less than a week in jail, Smollett was released pending an appeal.
Matthew Perry’s Substance Abuse Was Detailed In His Memoir
While the reason behind Smollett’s interest in Perry’s memoir is unclear, it is likely due to their shared history of substance abuse.
As reported by The Blast, Perry once wrote in his memoir about how his weight dropped to 128 pounds due to his addiction. The actor also shared that he was popping 55 Vicodin tablets daily at the height of his addiction, along with a sizable amount of booze.
His substance abuse ultimately resulted in a gastrointestinal perforation, which led to him being admitted to the ICU with a survival rate of only 2%. The actor ultimately spent up to five months in the hospital at the time, with the first two weeks being in a comatose state. Perry also had to go through the discomfort of using a colostomy bag for nine months.
Perry’s confessions about his substance abuse resurfaced recently following his unfortunate passing. The actor’s memoir showed a glimpse into what could have led to his death.
Matthew Perry Died From ‘Acute Effects of Ketamine’
The official autopsy report obtained by The Blast showed that the actor’s cause of death was a Ketamine overdose in conjunction with other factors.
Perry had an equal measure of Ketamine in his system as a hospital patient under general anesthetic, which led to his death that arose from the “acute effects of Ketamine” and drowning.
“The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner determined the cause of death for 54-year-old actor Matthew Langford Perry as the acute effects of ketamine,” the Los Angeles coroner’s office recently revealed.
It continued, “Contributing factors in Mr Perry’s death include drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine (used to treat opioid use disorder). The manner of death is an accident.”
Perry was reportedly undergoing treatment for his anxiety and depression via Ketamine infusion therapy. This treatment was about a week and a half before he was found face-down in his hot tub as described in the autopsy report.
The “Friends” star has since been laid to rest, with all five of his co-stars attending his funeral service.