‘It was a mean thing to do’

Matthew Perry has had a change of coronary heart concerning his destructive feedback about Keanu Reeves.

The Friends star, 53, informed the gang on the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Saturday that he’ll take away any point out of the John Wick actor from future editions of his revealing memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, which was launched final 12 months. In the guide, which recounts Perry’s struggles with habit and alcoholism, the actor questions why Reeves remains to be alive when different stars have died.

“I said a stupid thing. It was a mean thing to do,” Perry stated on the pageant, the Los Angeles Times reported. “I pulled his name because I live on the same street. I’ve apologized publicly to him. Any future versions of the book will not have his name in it.”

While he hasn’t apologized to Reeves in individual, Perry informed festival-goers that “if I run into the guy, I’ll apologize. It was just stupid.”

In his memoir, Perry made a jab at Reeves, 58, in a passage reflecting on the premature deaths of actors like River Phoenix, who died of a drug overdose in 1993.

“The list of geniuses who were ahead of their time is too long to detail here — suffice to say, near the top of any such list should be my co-star in A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, River Phoenix,” Perry wrote within the memoir, Variety reported on the time.

“It always seems to be the really talented guys who go down,” Perry continued. “Why is it that the original thinkers like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger die, but Keanu Reeves still walks among us? River was a better actor than me; I was funnier. But I certainly held my own in our scenes — no small feat, when I look back decades later.”

Later, he mentioned Reeves a second time, when discussing the death of another former co-star, Chris Farley. Farley, with whom Perry starred in Almost Heroes, died of an accidental overdose in 1997.

Perry shared how he “punched a gap by Jennifer Aniston’s dressing room wall after I came upon” about the comedian’s death, adding, “Keanu Reeves walks amongst us.”

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After it became public knowledge that Perry shaded Reeves in the book, the Whole Nine Yards actor issued an apology.

In a statement to People, he shared “I’m actually a big fan of Keanu. I just chose a random name, my mistake. I apologize. I should have used my own name instead.”

Despite his feedback about Reeves, Perry went on to say on the Festival of Books occasion that he did his “greatest to not go after anyone within the guide. That wasn’t the purpose.” Sharing that he has been in remedy since age 18, he stated he “needed to ensure that this wasn’t the form of guide the place I blame folks for the issues they did flawed. You have to give them credit score for the issues they did proper.”