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Matthew Perry recounts beating up Justin Trudeau in school: 'It was pure jealousy'

The former "Friends" star, who was raised in Canada, recounted a fifth grade run-in he had with the studly Canadian prime minister when they were in school together.
/ Source: TODAY

Matthew Perry considers himself half-Canadian, but he just revealed a rather ill-mannered and un-Canadian story about himself and a very young Justin Trudeau.

The “Friends” star explained on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" that he once bullied the current Canadian prime minister back when both attended the same elementary school.

Perry was in the fifth grade when he and a classmate beat up on the much younger Trudeau for “excelling in a sport that we weren't” as good at.

“So it was pure jealousy,” Perry admitted.

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Trudeau’s dad, Pierre Trudeau, was prime minister at the time, but that had nothing to do with the exchange.

“I think he was the only kid in school that we could beat up,” Perry joked, describing the story as something "I'm not proud of."

Justin Trudeau, right, turned out fine, despite being bullied by Matthew Perry in grade school.
Justin Trudeau, right, turned out fine, despite being bullied by Matthew Perry in grade school.Jimmy Kimmel Live/Getty

“I’m not bragging about this. This is terrible. I was a stupid kid,” he said. “I didn’t want to beat him up. In fact, I think at one point, I tried to turn it into love play.”

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Trudeau turned out all right, as the world now knows, and his success may have something to do with that incident, Perry joked.

“I think it was rather instrumental in him going to such great heights and becoming the prime minster,” he said. “I think he said, 'I’m going to rise above this.'"

But Perry admitted he's never had contact with Trudeau ever since those school days.

"I feel shame," he said. "I don’t want to think about it."