In the months following the tragic death of beloved actor Matthew Perry, heartbreaking details have emerged about the final days of the "Friends" star, revealing a grim spiral that ended with his untimely demise. Court documents recently unsealed shed light on how Perry, alongside his live-in assistant, Kenny Iwamasa, allegedly spent a staggering $55,000 on 55 vials of ketamine and numerous injections over the span of 29 days leading up to his death on October 28, 2023. Perry was just 54 years old.
The documents, obtained by Us Weekly, provide a troubling glimpse into the extent of Perry's drug use and the role his assistant played in facilitating it. Text messages between Perry and Iwamasa paint a disturbing picture of daily ketamine requests and illegal drug deals conducted in the early hours of the morning. The court filings also detail clandestine meetings between Perry, Iwamasa, and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, known as "Dr. P.," who has since been arrested in connection to Perry's death.
In one particularly alarming instance, Perry and Iwamasa met Dr. P. in a parking lot, where the doctor administered ketamine injections to Perry in the back of a car. Thousands of dollars in cash exchanged hands for the bottles of ketamine, a drug approved by the FDA for use as a general anesthetic but increasingly misused for its hallucinogenic effects and "off-label" use as a treatment for depression.
As the documents reveal, the dangerous use of ketamine did not stop at parking lot injections. Dr. P. made multiple visits to Perry's home to administer the drug, sometimes within hours of Perry already receiving a ketamine infusion. This double administration led to severe side effects, including a spike in Perry's systolic blood pressure, leaving him unable to speak or move. Despite these dangerous reactions, the pattern of drug use continued unabated.
On October 28, the day of Perry's death, Iwamasa injected him with ketamine at least three times. Perry's final words, according to the documents, were a desperate plea to his assistant: "shoot me up with a big one." Hours later, Perry was found dead in his hot tub, his life cut short by the very substances he had sought to numb his pain.
The fallout from Perry's death has led to criminal charges against several individuals connected to his drug use. Iwamasa, along with Dr. P., Jasveen Sangha-dubbed the "Ketamine Queen," Dr. Mark Chavez, and Perry's acquaintance Erik Fleming, have all been implicated in the case. Iwamasa has since pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death.
The timeline of events leading up to Perry's death, as outlined in the court documents, is harrowing. It details a cycle of addiction and desperation, with Perry and his assistant repeatedly seeking out more ketamine, despite the increasingly dangerous toll it was taking on Perry's health. From September 30, when Dr. P. first injected Perry at his home, to October 28, when Perry succumbed to the drugs, the documents chronicle a tragic descent into darkness.
One of the more disturbing aspects of the case is the apparent disregard for Perry's well-being by those around him. On October 12, after administering a large dose of ketamine that caused Perry to freeze up and become non-responsive, Dr. P. reportedly told Iwamasa, "let's not do that again." Yet, just days later, Iwamasa continued to administer ketamine to Perry, with fatal consequences.
As the legal proceedings continue, the revelations in these court documents serve as a stark reminder of the dangers of drug abuse and the devastating impact it can have on even the most beloved figures. Matthew Perry, who brought joy to millions through his role as Chandler Bing on "Friends," struggled with addiction for much of his life. His death is a tragic end to a battle he fought for years.
