Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

TikTok user who matched with Matthew Perry says older Hollywood men ‘are talking to all these young girls’

‘It’s something that I think a lot of people should be aware of’

Rachel Brodsky
Los Angeles
Thursday 06 May 2021 21:51 BST
Comments
Matthew Perry posts and deletes 'Friends' reunion picture
Leer en Español

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A TikTok user who matched with Matthew Perry on a celebrity dating app has opened up about older men in Hollywood allegedly “taking advantage” of younger women.

Kate Haralson, 20, went viral this week when she posted a private FaceTime call she had with the Friends star, who she met on the elite dating app Raya last May.

“A lot of people were saying I’m a bully and mean for posting this and it made me feel kind of bad, but at the same time, I feel like a lot of guys in Hollywood are talking to all these young girls and it’s something that I think a lot of people should be aware of,” Haralson told Page Six.

Haralson originally met the 51-year-old actor when she was 19, and she alleges that the actor asked to move their conversation to FaceTime shortly after matching on Raya.

“I was not really thinking anything of it,” Haralson said, noting that while she recognised Perry, she had “never even really watched Friends”.

The now-deleted TikTok video shows a short clip of the pair playing a game of “20 Questions”.

“I don’t think he minded that [I was 19],” she continued. “It kind of felt weird talking to someone my dad’s age and it just felt not right, especially when he knew how young I was.”

She alleges, however, that the actor asked her at one point, “Am I as old as your dad?”

Haralson added she was “inspired” by another viral video shared on TikTok by a user named Nivine Jay, who posted a private video of Ben Affleck after they matched on Raya.

Ultimately, Haralson said she took down her video within less than 24 hours of posting it because she “did feel a little bit bad,” stating that Perry really was a “nice guy”.

Even so, she concluded, "It’s not really OK for these older guys to be talking to such young girls”.

Apple TV+ logo

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free
Apple TV+ logo

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free

Last November, Perry announced his engagement to talent manager Molly Hurwitz, though they were reportedly broken up briefly in May 2020. A source told Us Weekly at the time that Perry was back on Raya “messaging girls and getting back into online dating again”.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in