NEWSMatthew Perry's Ex René Ashton Says She Joined the Mile-High 'Club' With 'Friends' Star on Bruce Willis' Private Jet Before Filming 'Whole Nine Yards'
Matthew Perry's former girlfriend René Ashton opened up about a trip she took with the late actor on Bruce Willis' private plane.
Oct. 27 2026, Published 12:23 p.m. ET
Matthew Perry's former partner looked back on their relationship in Netflix’s new three-part docuseries about the late Friends star.
René Ashton, who dated the 17 Again alum for a brief period in 1999, shared insight into their romance in The One About Matthew Perry.
Matthew Perry Died in October 2023 at the Age of 54
Matthew Perry and René Ashton dated in 1999.
Ashton, 56, recalled Perry — who died in October 2023 at the age of 54 — was shooting the comedy The Whole Nine Yards with Bruce Willis at the time of their relationship.
She remembered Willis, 71, asking the couple to jet off to Turks and Caicos Islands with him on his private plane where she and Perry apparently joined the infamous "mile-high club."
Matthew Perry Flew With Bruce Willis to Turks and Caicos on His Plane
Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry starred in the 2000 comedy 'The Whole Nine Yards.'
"Before he went to shoot The Whole Nine Yards, Bruce asked him and I to go to Turks and Caicos with him and his then-girlfriend," Ashton dished in the documentary. "It was pretty amazing. There weren’t any paparazzi there so it was a nice, normal and fun trip."
"And when Bruce asked him and I to go on his private plane, Matthew was so excited. He’s like, ‘Bruce wants us to go on his private plane. Bruce wants me to share a plane with him,'" she continued.
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Matthew Perry Was Adamant on Being a 'Serious Actor'
René Ashton got candid about her relationship with Matthew Perry in a new documentary about his life and career.
A producer then asked Ashton what the aircraft was like, to which she suggestively responded: "I joined a club."
She also described Perry's life and legacy, adding: "When you think of Matthew Perry you think, 'Oh, he had it all.' But Matthew was concerned about what’s next."
"[He was like], 'What’s next? How am I gonna maintain this? How am I gonna supersede this?' Matthew wanted very much to be a serious actor. He wanted to be known as a serious actor. That was really important to him," she noted.
Matthew Perry died in 2023 at the age of 54.
The One About Matthew Perry was released on the streamer on Tuesday, October 27, which coincides with the third anniversary of the Fools Rush In actor's passing.
Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles, Calif., home and his cause of death was attributed to the acute effects of ketamine.
Drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine were also deemed as contributing factors.
The Canadian native dealt with drug and alcohol addiction issues throughout his life, with his sister, Mia Perry Bowick, also sharing in the doc he spent about $7 million trying to get sober.
