The Los Angeles Police Department has confirmed that they are investigating the source of the ketamine involved in the death of actor Matthew Perry, known for his role in “Friends.” They are collaborating with the Drug Enforcement Administration as part of this ongoing review.
The cause of Perry’s death was determined to be the acute effects of ketamine. A source initially reported on the investigation, and the DEA has chosen not to provide additional comments at this time.
Matthew Perry’s death followed his public battles with alcohol and opioid addiction, including several rehab stays.
In his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” he detailed his struggles, including addiction to Vicodin after a 1997 accident and a near-death experience in 2019 due to opioid abuse.
A report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office in December mentioned that Perry had reportedly been clean for 19 months before his death. His live-in assistant found him unresponsive in the pool upon returning home from errands.
The coroner revealed that Matthew Perry had undergone ketamine infusion therapy, a treatment gaining popularity for mental health issues.
He had received this treatment 1½ weeks prior to his death. Perry reportedly utilized ketamine therapy to address depression and anxiety, as stated in the coroner’s report.
Despite having undergone ketamine infusion therapy prior to his death, Matthew Perry’s body still contained high levels of ketamine, similar to those used for general anesthesia during surgery. This puzzled the coroner, as ketamine typically metabolizes within hours.
The coroner determined Perry’s death to be accidental, citing contributing factors such as drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder.
On the day of Matthew Perry’s death, his assistant reported that he had been playing pickleball and had not shown any signs of health issues or substance use.
While there was no evidence of foul play initially, law enforcement stated that an investigation was ongoing. It’s not unusual for law enforcement to probe into the source of drugs involved in a celebrity’s death.
Charges were previously filed in similar cases, such as the deaths of rapper Mac Miller in 2018 and actor Michael K. Williams in 2021.
Perry’s sudden passing, known for his role as Chandler Bing on “Friends,” sparked an immediate wave of shock and sorrow among his former co-stars and fans.
