Aussie pub blasted over 'wrong' Matthew Perry-themed special

An Aussie pub has sparked fury after advertising their new cocktail of the month would be in dedication to late actor Matthew Perry.

Matthew, 54, was found unresponsive by his assistant in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on Saturday, October 28. The actor had previously been out playing pickleball with friends but mentioned feeling fatigued.

South Australian pub The Unley announced on its social media pages that its new cocktail of the month would be Matthew Perry-themed, naming it the Chandler Bing after the late actor's Friends character.

The pub said the new $18 cocktail would be in honour of Matthew, calling it 'A tribute to our sarcastic King' in a now-deleted Instagram post.

'This feels wrong'

Given Matthew Perry's very open issue with alcoholism and addiction, the announcement of the cocktail angered fans.

“This feels so wrong considering he battled alcoholism,” one person said, with another asking "You know he was an alcoholic, don’t you?”

“Anyone who’s seen his interviews and read his book would know that Friends was actually not what he wanted to be remembered for,” another pointed out.

It was only late last year that Matthew published his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir, an open and honest account of his rise to fame and his spiral into addiction.

RELATED:

• Friends star Matthew Perry dead at 54: Fans left in shock as they flock to pay tribute

• Matthew Perry's 'eerie' last social media post before his death at 54

• Emotional Friends reunion moment goes viral following Matthew Perry's shock death

Matthew revealed that over the years he had attended 6,000 AA meetings, gone to rehab 15 times, and been in detox 65 times. He had 14 surgeries, with his last one in 2022 leaving him with a six-inch incision with metal staples.

Authorities told TMZ that antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and a drug for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were found at his home, but they emphasised that no illegal drugs were present.

Aussie pub apologises

In a statement to 7Life, the pub confirmed it had removed the cocktail from the menu and expressed its remorse.

“The cocktail was intended as a tribute to a beloved actor and icon,” the statement said. "However, we recognise that this was an error in judgement and have removed the cocktail.

We are deeply regretful of any hurt that this has caused."

Never miss a thing. Sign up to Yahoo Lifestyle’s daily newsletter.

Or if you have a story idea, email us at lifestyle.tips@yahooinc.com.