Matthew Perry fans slammed the 2024 British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) show for ignoring the star’s film work in its In Memoriam segment, causing show executives to respond to the backlash.
During the BAFTA Awards show on Sunday, the annual ceremony aired a clip honoring stars who had passed away over the last year, including Richard Roundtree, Tina Tuner, Michael Gambon, and Carl Weathers.
However, “Friends” fans noticed that Perry was noticeably absent in the video and took to social media to blast the awards show for not including the late star, who died in October at the age of 54, TMZ reported.
“No mention of Matthew Perry in the #BAFTAs memorial?!” one person wrote on X. “Bad form [BAFTA].”
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts will honor Matthew Perry at its Television Awards following backlash over his omission from the In Memoriam segment of the Film Awards ceremony Sunday evening, according to a spokesperson. https://t.co/bbN3R1pTwR
— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 20, 2024
Another added, “No Matthew Perry in the #BAFTAs memorium?? Feels a tad disrespectful. Did they just forget?”
While a third said, “[BAFTA] Not content with forgetting Richard Beckinsale in ’79, the legendary Bernard Cribbins last year, they have now forgotten the beloved Matthew Perry! Who makes these decisions?!”
“#BAFTA Why do you celebrate absolute nobodies and forget those who special souls we truly love?” the account added.
BAFTA senior executives explained that the late star would be memorialized in an upcoming TV awards show, NBC noted.
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“We can confirm Matthew Perry will be remembered in our forthcoming BAFTA Television Awards in May 2024,” the spokesperson told the outlet.
There is also a tribute to Perry on the BAFTA website.
While the late star is probably best known for his TV role, he did appear in numerous movies throughout the 90s and 2000s, such as “Fools Rush In,” “Three To Tango,” and “17 Again.”
In December, the actor’s cause of death was ruled “accidental” and determined to be due to the “acute effects of ketamine,” which resulted in “cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression,” as previously reported.
Perry, who appeared in all 234 episodes of “Friends” during its 10-season run, had been open in the past about his long struggle with addiction to alcohol and prescription painkillers, as previously reported.