Matthew Perry Is Removing Controversial Keanu Reeves Comments from Future Editions of His Memoir

The Friends star said calling out the Matrix actor in his book Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing "was a mean thing to do"

Matthew Perry plans to make a revision to his memoir.

The Friends star, 53, said at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Saturday that he will remove Keanu Reeves' name from future editions of Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, his 2022 memoir that covers Perry's journey with substance abuse and addiction.

In the book, Perry laments the deaths of River Phoenix and Heath Ledger and wonders, "Why is it that the original thinkers like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger die, but Keanu Reeves still walks among us?"

Related:The Biggest Revelations from Matthew Perry's Memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing

"I pulled his name because I live on the same street," Perry told the audience at USC's Bovard Auditorium on Saturday. "I've apologized publicly to him. Any future versions of the book will not have his name in it."

He admitted, "I said a stupid thing. It was a mean thing to do."

RELATED VIDEO: Matthew Perry Apologizes After Questioning Why Keanu Reeves 'Still Walks Among Us'

Perry said he will apologize to the Matrix star, 58, if he ever sees him. "If I run into the guy, I'll apologize. It was just stupid," he added.

The five-time Emmy nominee received backlash for his comment about Reeves after his memoir was published in November, with actresses Lynda Carter and Rachel Zegler even weighing in in Reeves' favor.

"I'm actually a big fan of Keanu," Perry said in a statement to PEOPLE at the time. "I just chose a random name, my mistake. I apologize. I should have used my own name instead."

Related:Keanu Reeves Says His Last Moment of Bliss Was in Bed with 'My Honey' Alexandra Grant

In an October 2022 PEOPLE cover story, Perry said he wanted to share his struggles in his book in hopes of helping others.

"I wanted to share when I was safe from going into the dark side of everything again," he said. "I had to wait until I was pretty safely sober — and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction — to write it all down. And the main thing was, I was pretty certain that it would help people."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.