LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The woman who had been mysterious since her outing with Matthew Perry a day before his sudden death has been identified as Athenna Crosby.
On Tuesday, November 1, the 25-year-old entertainment reporter took to Instagram to reveal that she was "one of the last people" to see and speak to Perry before he died on Saturday, October 28, according to TMZ.
Athenna Crosby says she was 'so devastated' by Matthew Perry's death
Crosby, who is also a model, took to her Instagram Stories to share a few snapshots of Perry as she paid tribute to the 'Friends' star.
"I wasn’t going to speak about this but what I will say is I had the honor of knowing Matthew personally," Crosby wrote.
"I am so devastated by his death but felt it was in poor taste to talk about it publicly as the attention should not be on me but rather on him and his legacy and he was an extremely private person and I always respected that in our friendship," she added.
"But indeed, we were friends and I was one of the last people to speak to him and see him before he passed," she continued.
Crosby posted a screengrab of a news report of her lunch date with Perry last Friday, October 27, at the Hotel Bel-Air.
"I want to emphasize that Matthew was in extremely good spirits and talked to me enthusiastically about the things he had coming up in his life," the Venezuelan model wrote.
"He was so happy and vibrant," she added.
She then requested fans to "refrain from any speculation surrounding his death."
"Know that man was on a comeback and truly deserved more time on this earth. Our entertainment industry has truly lost a legend. RIP," she concluded.
How did Matthew Perry die?
On Saturday, October 28, Perry was found dead in his jacuzzi at his home in Los Angeles. The 'Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing' author was 54.
According to PageSix, prescription drugs, including anti-anxiety drugs, antidepressants, and a COPD drug were found on site but illegal drugs were not found.
The cause of Perry's death has not yet been disclosed. The 'Fools Rush In' actor's autopsy was completed and has been listed as "deferred" pending a toxicology report.
TMZ reported that law enforcement sources stated that Perry's death was not the result of fentanyl or meth.
