Meet The Woman Making Headlines For Meeting With Matthew Perry 24 Hours Before His Death

The mystery woman who was seen having lunch with Matthew Perry just a day before his untimely death has stepped forward to share details about her final interaction with the late actor. The woman was identified as Athenna Crosby, a model and TV host based in Los Angeles.

Perry and Crosby were photographed by TMZ sharing a meal at Hotel Bel-Air on October 27, marking the "Friends" star's last public sighting. Her identity was initially hidden, but she eventually took to social media to shed light on her encounter with the actor to help clear negative speculations about his death. "I am only here to testify of his mental state before he passed away, and the conversation that we had was very positive. He was completely normal and fine," she said in an Instagram Story. "I really discourage any conspiracy or toxic theories about his passing or what might have led up to that because this is a really tragic situation for all the friends and fans and family members and people all over the world that loved him... He was very positive the day before, and that is why I am choosing to speak to the media and say that."

In another post, Crosby also noted that Perry was "in extremely good spirits" and was "so happy and vibrant" during their outing. "Please refrain from any speculation surrounding his death and know that the man was on a comeback and truly deserved more time on this earth," she wrote.

It was initially unclear what the extent of Athenna Crosby and Matthew Perry's relationship was, but they appeared to have had a close friendship. On Instagram, the former Miss World contestant shared a preview of the note Perry had written on her copy of his memoir, which read: "Theens, a number one New York Times bestseller for the number 1 girl. Matty." Crosby wrote in the caption: "Will miss you @mattyperry4." 

Crosby, who described herself as a "TV Host & Journalist, Actress, Model, Singer," later told TMZ that their relationship was completely platonic and that their lunch was not a date. They had only met a few months before he died through common friends. She reiterated this in her series of posts online, saying that she wanted to pivot the attention to Perry's friends, family, and colleagues as she "didn't know him as well as they did." But she noted that she had the "honor of knowing Matthew personally" and that "indeed, we were friends." 

Crosby represented Utah in the Miss World America 2023 pageant, in which she placed 1st runner-up and became the recipient of the Beauty With A Purpose award. In February 2023, she was crowned Miss Norcal USA and went on to compete in Miss California USA, where she placed 3rd runner-up. Outside of pageantry, Crosby busies herself with various projects in the entertainment industry, including hosting for Hot in Hollywood TV. She has also modeled for brands like Monster Energy.

While Athenna Crosby and Matthew Perry weren't as close as many had assumed they'd be, the model did tell ET that Perry had relayed to her his plans for the future. Notably, he had envisioned a biopic in which he wanted Zac Efron, his co-star from "17 Again," to play a younger version of himself.

"He said that he wanted to make a movie about his life," the 25-year-old told the outlet. "He was gonna ask him [Efron] soon to do that. He was just looking forward to sharing more about his story and his recovery from addiction, and really championing that cause to help more people, so he was so optimistic and happy about everything that he wanted to do." She said Perry was interested in returning to the spotlight and hoped to make a big comeback in TV and film.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Us Weekly, Crosby shared that Perry was also making healthier choices in the months leading up to his death. He had been regularly playing pickleball and was set on getting fit. "He was very healthy and talking about how he was looking forward to hitting the pickleball court and how he had gotten very into it," she said. "He was telling me I needed to try it and it was fun. He said he was losing weight and getting in shape. ... He was in a positive place and doing so good [and] was being extra healthy."