Why Matthew Perry & Lizzy Caplan’s Relationship Really Fizzled Out

Additional relationship problems came from their age differences and stages in their career. Caplan was career-driven at the time, and Perry felt like he retired. At the time of their breakup, in 2012, Caplan was steadily working. Throughout their romance, Caplan actively appeared in TV shows and movies — taking on multiple parts per year. In comparison, Perry appeared in a few projects from 2006-2012. His commitment fear also led to backing out of proposing to her.

In “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” he details plans to propose to Caplan by giving her a customized painting of them on Christmas. He planned to give her the painting, which included 1,780 hearts (their number of text exchanges at the time), and then ask her to marry him. Perry recalled that his “fears reared up like a snake” and stopped him from asking the big question.

However, he mostly credits his fear of her really seeing him with the end of their romance. “The creeping, nagging, endless fear that if we got any closer, she would see the real me, and leave me. You see, I didn’t very much like the real me at the time,” shared the “Friends” star. This romance with Caplan was one of Perry’s most serious relationships, but not the only one that showcased his commitment issues.