Five Charged in Connection with Matthew Perry’s Death, Including Two Doctors and Actor’s Assistant

Authorities announced on Thursday that five people have been charged in connection with the death of “Friends” actor Matthew Perry, including the actor’s assistant and two doctors. Last October, Perry was found unresponsive in his California home, face down in his jacuzzi. Medical examiners later determined the actor’s death was caused by the acute effects of ketamine.

U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada announced the charges on Thursday, alleging that the defendants exploited Perry’s struggles with addiction to profit from supplying him with the powerful drug.

According to Estrada, the two doctors involved provided Perry with large quantities of ketamine, a potent anesthetic often used in treating depression and chronic pain. Text messages between the doctors reportedly also discussed how much Perry might be willing to pay for the drug.

On the day of his death, Perry received several injections of ketamine from his live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who later discovered the actor unresponsive in his hot tub. Iwamasa, along with another defendant, has already pleaded guilty to charges related to Perry’s death. The prosecutor also mentioned that two of the defendants, including one of the doctors, have been arrested, and a third individual has agreed to plead guilty.

The indictment also revealed that defendants exchanged messages soon after Perry’s death, acknowledging ketamine as the cause and discussing ways to cover up their involvement and distance themselves from the actor. The Los Angeles Police Department, in collaboration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, has been investigating how Perry ended up with such a dangerous amount of ketamine in his system.

Perry, 54, was found unresponsive in the jacuzzi of his Los Angeles home. His autopsy revealed acute ketamine intoxication as the primary cause of death, with additional contributing factors such as coronary artery disease and buprenorphine effects. The report noted that the ketamine found in Perry’s system was not related to his prescribed infusion therapy, which had occurred more than a week before his passing.

Perry, best known for his iconic role as Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom “Friends,” leaves behind a family heartbroken by his loss.

In a statement released Thursday, his mother, Suzanne Morrison, and stepfather, Keith Morrison, expressed their gratitude for the seriousness with which law enforcement has handled the investigation, saying, “We look forward to justice taking its course.”

The charges, which include conspiracy to distribute ketamine, distribution resulting in death, and possession with intent to distribute, will be further detailed at a news briefing by the U.S. attorney for Los Angeles and the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration later Thursday.

The investigation into Perry’s death has been a collaborative effort involving multiple agencies, including the DEA, LAPD, the U.S. Postal Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.