When we lose someone near and dear to us, we like to think that they haven't truly left us.
Indeed, sometimes we take solace in believing they sent us a sign from beyond, be it a flicker of the lights or a small gust of wind.
In some cases, we might even believe they have come back to Earth in a different form.
Actress Maggie Wheeler, who achieved international fame as Janice, Chandler's on-and-off girlfriend with a notoriously nasal voice and an unmistakable laugh on the legendary sitcom Friends, recently shared that she believes her on-screen love interest Matthew Perry, who died of a drug overdose in October 2023, paid her a visit in the form of a hawk.
While appearing on the podcast Still Here Hollywood with Steve Kmetko, Wheeler shared how she believed that Perry and her late brother, who also died from substance abuse, recently paid her an unexpected visit.
Wheeler appeared opposite Perry in 19 episodes of the show's 10-season run, making at least one appearance in every season.
When Kmetko pointed out that people all over the world mourned the loss of Perry, who was one of the most iconic and beloved TV characters of all time, Wheeler shared how she was personally affected by his death:
"People all over the world who loved him as Chandler, who benefited from the joy that he spread by being a brilliant actor and by being so incredibly funny."
"So the ripple, the wave was felt by so many."
"For me, I felt just heartbroken and sad that, you know, that he couldn't make it out of this incredibly dark tunnel that he was in for so long."
"And if you read Matthew's book or if you've read Matthew's book, you know the level of his addiction was so profound."
Always open about his struggles with addiction, Perry went into candid details about his struggles in his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, disclosing that he had spent nearly $8 million to get and stay sober.
Even so, Wheeler expressed how she felt Perry's wealth may have ultimately gotten in the way of his staying clean:
"Some people have to lose everything in pursuit of the next fix, next high."
"Matthew had access, and there were people who took great advantage of that, and that's a tragedy."
"It's a tragedy that he's gone, and it's a tragedy that people participated in that so knowingly."
Having lost her brother to drug addiction, Wheeler also expressed how even if their fates may seem inevitable, losing a friend or family member in such a way remains an unfathomable shock:
"Even when you know the road somebody is on, the day you know they're gone still comes as a surprise, even when you think you are preparing for it."
"And in Matthew's case, he seemed to have turned a corner."
"Things seem to have been going well in certain kinds of ways."
"There's just that feeling of like the rug being pulled out."
When asked if she still missed both Perry and her brother, Wheeler said she missed them both.
She then shared what she believed was an otherworldly reunion with both of them, a reunion one can only imagine would have left Janice uttering her trademark "Oh. My. God."
"Lots of people talk about spirits showing up as birds and, you know, other things that kind of send a message when someone passes."
"And after Matthew died, I was in a neighbor's pool, and I was alone, and there was nobody else around."
"And I was on my back, and I was thinking about my brother."
"And I said, you know, 'Look out for him,' and two hawks flew over my head and flew past me."
"One circled around and came and got the other one, and it flew past me."
"So that was a beautiful moment, if you go for that kind of stuff."
Viewers shared on Reddit how moved they were by Wheeler's story, with some sharing similar encounters, and others pointing out a similar Friends plot line in which Phoebe believes her late mother has returned to her in the form of a cat:
"I’m not religious. However. When my second son was stillborn, for a long time after there was this gorgeous green hummingbird who would visit our house, and I don’t know why but it always felt like a really important presence. Can’t describe it."- cakesie
"This reminds me of the one where Phoebe’s mom came back as a cat."- Banesmuffledvoice
"I think this sort of stuff is sweet. Whatever helps you deal with the grief. My mom told me what she’d come back as if I ever need a sign and made it specific so I guess I’ll just have to wait (hopefully a long long time) and see lol"- frycrunch96
"I just lost my grandfather a week ago. I was distraught and sitting on a park bench, sad. A tiny little bird gets on the trash can nearby and starts singing. I would be lying if I didn’t admit in that moment that it brought me some comfort."- xCR4SHx
"I will never ever snark on this sort of thing. I have a close friend who died a few months ago. Shortly before he passed, we were both talking about how we believed in signs from beyond and he mentioned if he died before I did he’d send me signs to let me know he was watching out for me. The amount of stuff that’s happened since he died… weird sh*t like my phone randomly opening to his contact information one night when I was crying, or thinking 'I wish you were here you’d have loved this' at an event recently and then immediately being introduced to someone with the same name as him. Maybe it’s all coincidence, but it helps."- Luna_Soma
"Had something similar happen. Was torn up about losing a family pet and brought back memories of losing my grandma as a kid. That moment a mallard (grandmas favorite animal)flew over my head. Comforting, if only for a moment."- iatetoomuchcatnip
"This sounds like something Phoebe would say."- bruxellexs
"Like with mourning, cupping, and chiropractic services, as long as it makes you feel good and doesn't hurt others, you can do any pretend thing you like if it makes you feel good."- HolyJuan
"If that brought her comfort during her grief, I don’t see the problem with it. I’ve heard people say similar things."- crystal_clear24
"Did she say "Oh my god" when it happened?"- yeahwellokay
Since Perry's untimely passing, five people have been charged in connection with his death, with at least three of those individuals pleading guilty, including a doctor who distributed ketamine to Perry.
@WhiteHouse/X
