Friends Reunion director opens up on mean comments about Matthew Perry's health

Director of Friends: The Reunion, Ben Winston, has commented on the speculation surrounding actor Matthew Perry's health. The actor, who played Chandler Bing on the popular sitcom, has been open about his struggle with substance abuse.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Winston said that he hopes people are kinder to him, and that Perry was 'great'.

"People can sometimes just be unkind. I wish they weren't," he said. "I loved working with him. He's a brilliantly funny man and I thought he had some great one-liners in the show. I felt just happy and lucky to be in his presence and directing him on something like this."

Kevin Bright, one of the co-creators and executive producers of Friends, also provided some insight into Perry's health, in a separate interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "I talked to him. It was great seeing him again," Bright said. "And what people say is what people say. I don't have any to say about that, except it was great to see him. And I think he's very funny on the show. But yes, I think he's OK. He seems stronger and better since the last time I saw him, and excited about going forward."

Perry has had two stints in rehab, and said in an interview that because of his addiction, he couldn't remember filming three seasons of Friends. Speaking to BBC2 in 2016, he was asked to name his favourite episode. "I think the answer is, I don't remember three years of it," he said. "So none of those … Somewhere between season three and six … I was a little out of it."

Friends: The Reunion premiered on HBO Max on May 27.