Prosecutors accuse Matthew Perry's assistant of playing key role in overdose case

New court filings reveal how Matthew Perry's assistant allegedly became deeply involved in the actor's ketamine use before his fatal overdose. Here's what prosecutors and Perry's family have said.

In Short

• Prosecutors seek three years and five months in prison for Iwamasa
• He admitted giving Perry six to eight ketamine injections daily
• Police initially received a medication list omitting ketamine, prosecutors later said

Nearly three years after Matthew Perry died from a ketamine overdose, fresh court filings have cast a harsh spotlight on the role allegedly played by his live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. Prosecutors claim the man Perry trusted most not only helped source the drug but also injected the actor with the doses that ultimately proved fatal.

Iwamasa, who reportedly earned USD 150,000 a year as Perry’s assistant, is now set to be sentenced after becoming the first person charged in connection with the actor’s death to strike a plea deal. Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of three years and five months after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death.

What role did Kenneth Iwamasa allegedly play?

According to prosecutors, Iwamasa’s responsibilities went far beyond those of a personal assistant. Court documents allege he acted as a middleman in obtaining ketamine, learned how to inject the drug from a doctor, and administered multiple injections to Perry in the days leading up to his death.

Investigators say Perry received six to eight ketamine injections a day during his final days. On October 28, 2023, the day the actor died, Iwamasa allegedly injected Perry before leaving the house to run errands. He later returned to find the actor unresponsive in a Jacuzzi.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled ketamine as the primary cause of death, with drowning listed as a secondary factor.

Why is Iwamasa’s testimony so important?

Iwamasa has emerged as a key witness in the wider criminal case involving four other defendants. Prosecutors say he initially failed to disclose Perry’s ketamine use to police and only admitted his involvement after investigators searched Perry’s home in January 2024.

Court records also link him to alleged drug supplier Jasveen Sangha and middleman Erik Fleming, who has already been sentenced to two years in prison.

Because of his cooperation, legal experts expect Iwamasa to receive a lighter sentence than some of the others charged in the case.

How has Matthew Perry’s family reacted?

Perry’s family has expressed deep anger and heartbreak in letters submitted to the court. His mother, Suzanne Morrison, said the family trusted Iwamasa to protect the actor during his battle with addiction.

His sister, Caitlin Morrison, accused him of abandoning a vulnerable person in a dangerous situation, while another sister, Madeline Morrison, described his presence at Perry’s funeral as “a cruel joke”.

Perry, best known for playing Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom Friends, died at the age of 54.

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