Matthew Perry’s Ex René Ashton Drops Bombshell Mile High Confession About Hookup on Bruce Willis’ Private Plane

Matthew Perry’s ex René Ashton has revealed that she and the late actor joined the mile high club while traveling aboard Bruce Willis’ private plane. Ashton shared the intimate story in the new three-part Netflix documentary “The One About Matthew Perry.”

The trip came before Perry began filming “The Whole Nine Yards.” According to Ashton, Willis invited the couple to accompany him and his girlfriend on a getaway to Turks and Caicos, as reported ^[1] by Page Six.

“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 recalled in the documentary.

Ashton said Perry could barely contain his excitement over traveling with the “Die Hard” star. His enthusiasm centered on the opportunity to fly aboard Willis’ private aircraft and share that experience with him.

“He’s like, ‘Bruce wants us to go on his private plane. Bruce wants me to share a plane with him,’” Ashton recalled.

The documentary then turned directly to what happened during the flight. An offscreen producer asked Ashton to describe the plane ride, prompting a short but unmistakably cheeky response from the 56-year-old.

“I joined a club,” Ashton replied.

Her remark referred to the mile high club and supplied the documentary with a surprising confession about her relationship with Perry. Ashton did not offer additional details about the encounter in the material provided.

Ashton also looked back warmly on the destination itself. She described the Turks and Caicos trip as “pretty amazing,” while emphasizing the privacy that she and Perry experienced during their time away.

“There weren’t any paparazzi there, so it was a nice, normal and fun trip,” she shared.

The absence of photographers allowed the couple to enjoy what Ashton characterized as an ordinary, entertaining vacation. Her recollection presented the getaway as a rare private experience involving Perry, Ashton, Willis and Willis’ girlfriend at the time.

Ashton said her feelings for Perry ran deep during their relationship. She shared that she was “in love” with the “Friends” alum and described him as “at the core, good people.”

Ashton and Perry dated for about a year in 1999. Her memories in the documentary include both the playful private plane confession and more serious concerns that emerged during their romance.

The “Friends In Deadly Places” actress became worried as Perry’s struggles with alcohol escalated. Her concern eventually led her to contact his father, John Bennett Perry, and ask him for help.

That detail adds a more difficult element to Ashton’s account of their time together. While she remembered the secluded Turks and Caicos vacation as fun and normal, she also described taking action when she became alarmed about Perry’s alcohol struggles.

Page Six contacted Willis’ representative for comment on Ashton’s account. The outlet did not immediately receive a response from the representative.

Perry was found dead in his hot tub in October 2023. The actor, known for “Friends” and “Fools Rush In,” was 54 years old.

According to a coroner’s report, Perry died from “acute effects of ketamine.” The report also listed drowning, coronary artery disease, and buprenorphine effects in connection with his death.

Ashton’s appearance in “The One About Matthew Perry” offers a personal look at her yearlong relationship with the actor. Her recollections move from Perry’s excitement over Willis’ private plane to the quiet vacation and her later concern over his escalating difficulties with alcohol.

For anyone affected by the issues raised in the story, SAMHSA’s National Helpline can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).