------------------------------------------------------ Matthew Perry Health Scare
The bad news is Matthew Perry is in the hospital. The good news (relatively speaking) is that the Friend isn't there for drug abuse, but rather for severe flu and extreme stomach pains, according to his publicist.
Lisa Kasteler, Perry's rep, says the actor's undergoing tests to determine the cause of the pain, but she refused to divulge more information (like where he was, when he was admitted or if he was feeling better).
"I'm not going to be giving daily updates," she said adamantly. "It's not that big of a deal." She says he could be sprung as early as today.
Three years ago, Perry went through a rehab program to kick his addiction to prescription-strength painkillers.
Given Perry's history, his publicist made a pre-emptive strike, notifying reporters about Perry's hospitalization before the gossip machine could crank up relapse rumors.
In other Friends news, several sources are reporting that each member of the cast is demanding $1 million for each episode to continue NBC's "Must-See" Thursday night anchor. That's eight times their current salary.
Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox Arquette, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer are negotiating en masse for a two-year deal. The deadline is May 15, when the network announces its fall schedule. ---------------------------------------------
Vishal