What Was Matthew Perry’s Cause of Death? Inside the Beloved Actor’s Final Hours — and His Harrowing Alleged Last Words

Mar. 15, 2025

Matthew Perry poses at a photocall for “The End Of Longing”, a new play which he wrote and stars in at The Playhouse Theatre, on February 8, 2016.Photo:David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty

David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty

The world lost a friend whenMatthew Perrydied suddenly in October 2023 froman accidental ketamine overdose.

Though Perry had struggled with alcoholism and opioid addiction for years, the actor — who famously starred as Chandler Bing onFriendsfrom 1994 to 2004 — had been working on his sobriety in the years prior to his death. In October 2022, ahead ofthe release of his memoirFriends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry told PEOPLE that he felt “safely sober” and confident that he was “safe from going into the dark side of everything again.”

But theEmmy Awardwinner was also candid about his own mortality — and how many second chances at life he had been given over the years. Perry’s multiple near-death experiences, includinga five-month hospital stay in 2018, left Perry “grateful to be alive.”

“I think they’ll be surprised at how bad it got at certain times and how close to dying I came,” Perry said to the readers of his memoir. “I say in the book that if I did die, it would shock people, but it wouldn’t surprise anybody. And that’s a very scary thing to be living with.”

Now,a Peacock docuseriesis taking a deeper look into Perry’s sudden death — and the people in his circle being held responsible for it.Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy, out Feb. 25, detailsthe beloved actor’s final daysandthe subsequent investigationthat uncovered a “broad underground criminal network responsible for delivering a large quantity of ketamine to Matthew Perry and others.”

Here is a look back at Matthew Perry’s sudden death — and the lasting legacy he left behind.

How did Matthew Perry die?

Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic

Perry died from the acute effects of ketamine, according to hisofficial autopsy report, which was released in December 2023.

Drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine (a medication used to treat opioid use disorder) were also listed as contributing factors. Perry’s passing was ruled accidental.

“At the high levels of ketamine found in his postmortem blood specimens, the main lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression,” the coroner stated in the report. “Drowning contributes due to the likelihood of submersion into the pool as he lapsed into unconsciousness.”

Perry — who had been “clean for 19 months” before his death, according to the autopsy report — had been receiving ketamine infusion therapy, which theNational Institute of Healthhas studied for its potential mental health benefits. His last treatment occurred “one and a half weeks” before his death — but the coroner noted the ketamine in his system could not have been from that treatment session, as ketamine has a half-life of three to four hours or less.

The autopsy also noted that no drugs or drug paraphernalia were found near the pool or adjacent to the water and that there were “no signs of fatal trauma or no foul play suspected.”

When did Matthew Perry die?

Matthew Perry visits SiriusXM Studios on November 01, 2022 in New York City.Santiago Felipe/Getty

Santiago Felipe/Getty

Perry died on Oct. 28, 2023.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, first responders arrived at his residence at 4:07 p.m. that day after a 911 call was made that referenced a “medical emergency.” However, Perry was already dead when they arrived.

A subsequent investigation into his death would shed light onhow theFriendsstar spent his final hours. Over the course of the morning and early afternoon, Perry’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, “repeatedly” injected him with ketamine — despite not being medically trained to do so, per the Department of Justice.

Iwamasa told investigators that the actor first asked him to inject him with ketamine at about 8:30 in the morning on the day he died, perThe New York Times. Just over four hours later, Perry asked for a second shot — which Iwamasa also administered — while he watched a movie.

Within 40 minutes, Iwamasa injected Perry with a third dose, at his request, and then prepared his hot tub for use before leaving the home to run errands. When Iwamasa returned later that afternoon, Perry was dead.

Where did Matthew Perry die?

Matthew Perry photographed in Hollywood, CA on September 20, 2022.

The actor purchased the home in 2020 and hadjust moved ina few weeks prior to his death after completing renovations. A source told PEOPLE at the time that the actor “was incredibly happy” and had called his new home “heaven.”

A year after Perry’s death,the home was soldin an off-market deal for $8.55 million. Thenew owner of the home, movie producer and real estate developer Anita Verma-Lallian, shared onInstagramthat she did not dwell on the home’s tragic past.

“We chose to honor the positive aspects of the previous owner’s life, his immense talent, and all the joy he brought to so many people,” she wrote, referencing Perry.

How old was Matthew Perry when he died?

Matthew Perry poses at the opening night for “Six Degrees of Separation” on Broadway at The Barrymore Theatre on April 25, 2017.Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

Perry was 54 years old when he died.

The actor struggled for most of his adult life with substance abuse — and had a near-death experience in 2018 at the age of 49 as a result of his opioid use.

TheFriendsactorbegan drinking at the age of 14, as he revealed in his 2022 memoirFriends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, and eventually became addicted to alcohol and Vicodin, which a doctor had prescribed him after a 1997 jet skiing accident.

“I had a big problem with alcohol and pills and I couldn’t stop,” he told PEOPLE in a 2013 cover story. “Eventually things got so bad that I couldn’t hide it, and then everybody knew.”

Perry sought treatment at least 15 times over the years, but the drug and alcohol usage had lasting effects on his health. In 2018, when Perry was 49 years old, the actor spentfive months in the hospitalafter his colon burst from years of opioid overuse. He spent two weeks in a coma and doctors gave him a 2 percent chance of survival, he shared in 2022.

“That’s the time I really came close to my life ending,” Perry told PEOPLE, adding that the experience led him to stop taking prescription opioids. “A little window opened, and I crawled through it, and I no longer want OxyContin.”

What were Matthew Perry’s last words?

Matthew Perry on ‘Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen’.Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Perry spokehis last known wordsto his assistant, Iwamasa.

According to court documents, their final interaction came when the actor requested a third ketamine injection in the span of just a few hours.

“Shoot me up with a big one,” Perry allegedly said to his assistant.

What was the public’s reaction to Matthew Perry’s death?

Courteney Cox Arquette as Monica Geller, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green in ‘Friends’,.Reisig & Taylor/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty

Reisig & Taylor/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty

“I think there was something…there was an inevitabilityto what was going to happen next to him, and he felt it very strongly,” Suzanne said around the one-year anniversary of Perry’s death.

Keith echoed that Perry “had been close to it lots of times over the years.”

Beyond those closest to the actor,tributes poured in from fansfollowing the news of Perry’s death. A memorial grew outside of the New York City apartment building where hisFriendscharacter Chandler Bing lived, with fans gathering, leaving flowers and taking photos.

Who was held responsible for Matthew Perry’s death?

Matthew Perry and Jasveen Sangha.Getty;Shutterstock

Getty;Shutterstock

In May 2024, the California branch of the Drug Enforcement Administration, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Police Department,announced an investigationinto the circumstances surrounding Perry’s death.

The LAPD had begun investigating the actor’s death in December, following the medical examiner’s report, and was working with the DEA and the U.S. Postal Inspector to determine the source of the ketamine that led to Perry’s death.

By August 2024,five arrests were madein connection with Perry’s death and charges were filed againstJasveen Sangha, Dr. Salvador Plascencia, Dr. Mark Chavez, Erik Fleming and Perry’s assistant Iwamasa. According to United States Attorney Martin Estrada, Perry fell back into addiction in the fall of 2023 andthe five defendants“were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring for his well being.”

Three of the defendants pled guilty to their charges. Iwamasapleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing deathand admitted to injecting Perry “repeatedly” before his death, including three times on the day he died.

Dr. Mark Chavez, who formerly operated a ketamine clinic,pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute ketamine. He admitted he sold the drug to Dr. Salvador Plascencia, another defendant in the case, who is accused of selling the drug to Perry’s assistant Iwamasa. Chavez faces up to 10 years in prison.

Sangha and Plascenscia have both entered not guilty pleas, however, and both are facing multiple charges in the case. Sangha, whom prosecutors have referred to as the “Ketamine Queen,” is accused of distributing the ketamine that killed Perry.

She is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution of ketamine. If found guilty, according to Estrada, Sangha faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Plascenscia, meanwhile, is accused of supplying drugs to Perry’s assistant Iwamasa. He is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation.

According to the prosecutors, Plascenscia sent texts that allegedly read, “I wonder how much this moron will pay,” in reference to Perry. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 10 years behind bars for each ketamine-related count and up to 20 years for records falsification.

What is Matthew Perry’s legacy?

Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing.Reisig & Taylor/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Reisig & Taylor/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Since Perry’s death, his family has been making sure the beloved actor is remembered just as much forhis dedication to helping others with their sobrietyas he is for his iconic role onFriends.

Shortly after his death, Perry’s parents and five siblings launched theMatthew Perry Foundation of Canada. The organization seeks to provide resources and a “support system” for people after they’ve completed rehab, Perry’s stepfather Keith explained to PEOPLE in 2024.

“Because that was Matthew’s problem,” he said. “He was through a rehab center, he’d come out, he’d be fine for a few months, and then we discovered that he had secretly using from the time he got out of rehab. So finding some way to bridge the gap, to get people well and not just kind of get them clean, is a big part of this.”

The Matthew Perry Foundationin the U.S. carries out a similar mission, seeking “to fill the gaps in people’s recovery journey,” according to Perry’s longtime manager Doug Chapin, who now serves as the foundation’s board president.

“We are achieving his primary goal ofwanting to be remembered for helping people,” Chapin told PEOPLE in 2024.

“We know that his dying wish was to be remembered for helping other people, more than his famousness forFriends,” Keith told PEOPLE. “That has now become our mission in life is to carry that wish on.”

source: people.com