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Matthew Perry says he 'made out' with Valerie Bertinelli as Eddie Van Halen was passed out nearby

Perry shares the details of his almost-romance with co-star Bertinelli in his new memoir.

Matthew Perry's forthcoming memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," is full of untold stories about the actor's time as Chandler Bing on "Friends" and his long struggle with addiction. (He doesn't think his "Friends" co-stars are going to read the book).

Perry also opens up about his star-studded dating life, including his relationship with Julia Roberts and his "crush" on Valerie Bertinelli — which briefly turned into more.

According to Perry, he and Bertinelli shared a passionate kiss while her husband, Eddie Van Halen, to whom she was married from 1971 to 2007, was "10 feet away."

Perry, then 19, and Bertinelli, then 30, met on the set of the CBS sitcom "Sydney" in 1990, four years before "Friends" premiered. The show marked Bertinelli's return to TV after "One Day at a Time." Perry played Bertinelli's younger brother. Craig Bierko also starred as her love interest, and Van Halen wrote the theme song.

“During filming, I fell madly in love with Valerie,” Perry wrote, noting this would not be the "last time" he had to "hide (his love)" from a co-star as they worked together.

Birthday Party for Valerie Bertinelli
Matthew Perry said he was "madly in love" with "Sydney" co-star Valerie Bertinelli. Pictured: Perry and Bertinelli on the "Sydney" set in 1990.Jim Smeal / Ron Galella Collection via Getty

"In the early 1990s, there was no one more attractive than Valerie. Not only was she stunning and vivacious, but she also had this great, booming, adorable laugh," Perry wrote.

Perry, at the time, saw some issues with his scenario: "My crush was crushing; not only was she way out of my league, but she was also married to one of the most famous rock stars on the planet, Eddie Van Halen.”

Perry didn’t think he could compare to “arguably the greatest rock guitarist on the planet at the time” because, according to his hierarchy, "being funny always came in second to musicians."

Plus, Van Halen already had a leg up in that he was already married to the "One Day at a Time" star. But that didn’t stop Perry from being “completely captivated” by her: "My feelings for Valerie were real."

“I was obsessed with her and harbored elaborate fantasies about her leaving Eddie Van Halen and living out the rest of her days with me," he said.

Eventually, Perry shared an intimate moment with Bertinelli while with the couple at their home one night.

“I was over at Valerie and Eddie’s house, just hanging out and gazing at Valerie, trying to make her laugh. When you made her laugh, you felt ten feet tall," he said.

"As the night progressed, it was clear that Eddie had enjoyed the fruits of the vine a little too hard, one more time, and eventually he just passed out, not 10 feet away from us, but still.”

Perry thought this was his "chance" with Bertinelli — and he was right. “Valerie and I had a long, elaborate make-out session," he said.

Rebeccah Bush, Valerie Bertinelli
The cast of "Sydney" in 1990. Front from left: Rebeccah Bush, Valerie Bertinelli, Perry Anzilotti. Rear from left: Craig Bierko, Matthew Perry, Barney Martin.©CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection

“It was happening — maybe she felt the same way I did. I told her I had thought about doing that for a long time, and she had said it right back to me," he said.

The next day at work, though, Bertinelli didn't mention what had happened the night before.

"I quickly got the hint and also played the role I was supposed to, but inside I was devastated," he said, adding that Bertinelli had "done nothing wrong."

He said "many a tearful night" followed, making him a "sad disillusioned teenager." When the show was cancelled a month after their night together, he was "grateful" he wouldn't have to see Bertinelli anymore.

Bertinelli seemingly responded to the story via TikTok set to audio from Taylor Swift's new song "Anti-Hero," which has the lyric, "It's me! Hi, I'm the problem, it's me."

“Anyone else misbehave in their 20’s and early 30’s?” she captioned the post. “Are you mortified?”

Bertinelli, who became a Food Network star, and Van Halen split in 2007. Their only child, Wolfgang Van Halen, recently got engaged. She remarried in 2011 to Tom Vitale, a financial planner. They recently settled their divorce after 11 years of marriage.

Speaking to Hoda Kotb on TODAY in June, Bertinelli said she would be "more than happy to be happily divorced and spend the rest of (her) life alone."

Bertinelli said her divorce gave her trust issues. "I can’t imagine ever trusting anyone again to let into my life. So I have some trust issues that I’m sure I’m going to have to get past," she told Hoda.