Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb reflected on the life of late Friends star Matthew Perry, who recently and suddenly died at the age of 54 from an apparent drowning.
Perry’s cause of death has not yet been determined; no foul play is suspected and no drugs were found at the scene, per TMZ.
As the Today co-hosts remembered Perry’s lifelong struggle with addiction, Bush Hager revealed that her father, former President George W. Bush, “quit drinking” when she was five years old. She urged parents to warn their children about the effects of alcohol and drugs, rather than “keeping it quiet.”
“My dad quit drinking when I was five, I don’t remember him ever drinking in front of me, even though he did,” she told Kotb. “And it’s interesting what having somebody that’s had alcohol issues in your family does for conversation. I feel like some households were discussing Matthew Perry and keeping it quiet in front of the kids.”
Bush Hager said she discussed Perry’s passing with her 10-year-old daughter and explained that the actor “dealt with a lot of addiction issues.”
“I’m no parenting expert, but I do feel like we have to talk to our kids about what alcohol and drugs [do] – not glamorize it, because they can see that on TV,” Bush Hager continued.
Kotb agreed, saying, “When there is something like that, have a conversation for it. Anything that’s a secret is going to be a problem.”
Bush Hager replied, “Yes, there’s shame. I want the opposite of being 12, and feeling so alone that you’re drinking like that. I want them to know that if there’s alcohol it is not good for you, especially for children.”
Perry chronicled his addiction to opioids and alcohol in his recent memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, in which he revealed he was regularly drinking while working on the classic sitcom. While promoting the memoir, he spoke candidly about his journey to recovery.
“The kind of message that I guess I give out with this book is don’t give up. There’s help out there,” he said. “I’ve been helped on a daily basis. If I didn’t get help, I wouldn’t be sitting here. It’s all about finding somebody that knows more than you about this stuff and just listening to them.”
Today with Jenna and Hoda airs on weekdays at 10/9c on NBC.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.