Why did Matthew Perry once 'beat up' Justin Trudeau?

The death of Friends star Matthew Perry has prompted an outpouring of grief from people worldwide, including Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau.

The two went to school together at the Rockcliffe Park Public School in Ottawa, Canada, and Trudeau shared his sadness at Perry’s passing on X/Twitter.

He said: “Matthew Perry’s passing is shocking and saddening. I’ll never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, and I know people around the world are never going to forget the joy he brought them.

“Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were loved – and you will be missed.”

But among those “schoolyard games” was something altogether more violent, Perry admitted in 2017.

Speaking on a talk show about his schooling, the Friends actor said: “My friend ... who was also in the fifth grade in Canada, reminded me that we actually beat up Justin Trudeau.

“We both beat him up. I think he was excelling in a sport that we weren’t, so it was pure jealousy.”

What’s more, Perry was playing with fire, because Trudeau’s father, Pierre, was prime minister at the time.

Perry continued: “I think he was the only kid in school that we could beat up.

“You know, I’m not bragging about this. This is terrible. I was a stupid kid, I didn’t want to beat him up.”

And it seems like the fight stuck with Trudeau too, who took a rare opportunity one April Fools’ Day to challenge Perry to a rematch.

He tweeted in 2017: “I've been giving it some thought, and you know what, who hasn't wanted to punch Chandler? How about a rematch?”

Judging from the size of Trudeau’s security operation, which costs nearly £18m-a-year, according to CBC, he might have had some difficulty.

Unsurprisingly, the actor never got back to his old schoolmate on that one.

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