Refrigerator Perry Isn’t Dead, But He’s Not Very Healthy Either

Refrigerator Perry is not dead, but from the sounds of it he may be close.

The Chicago Bears defensive lineman known formally as William Perry gained fame for his massive size and surprising agility, and on Wednesday he was the subject of now typical celebrity death rumors. As Twitter blew up with reports that Refrigerator Perry died, his agent spoke out to clear up the misconceptions.

“I know he is not dead,” Perry’s agent, Adam Plotkin, told the Chicago Tribune. Plotkin added that Perry is actually being interviewed by the Bears on Saturday for coach Mike Ditka’s jersey retirement.

A little later in the day, Refrigerator Perry himself stepped forward to reveal that he is indeed alive. Using the Twitter handle @FridgePerry72, he wrote: “I heard the rumors that I passed away online #SMH. Just wanted to let everyone (know) that they are not true and Im doing fine. Thanks guys!”

But though there may be no basis to the death rumors, reports have said Refrigerator Perry is in dire health. An ESPN report from 2011 said the South Carolina resident had grown to more than 400 pounds, and would only move to go to the bathroom or make a trip to buy beer.

Perry said he developed a drinking problem while with the Bears in 1988, and has struggled to get in under control. Then, in 2008 he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, an illness that attacks the nervous system and put Perry in the hospital for close to five months.

After he was released, Refrigerator Perry saw his Guillain-Barre return, and he dropped to 190 pounds.

Perry has now put the weight back on again, and reportedly drinks two cases of beer a night.

As for the death rumors on Wednesday, the tweet that started it all came from the @ClemsonTigerNet account, but was quickly taken down. The TigerNet staff later explained the confusion — it wasn’t Refrigerator Perry that died, but instead someone else with the name William Perry.