Perry asked his longtime assistant to administer him ketamine three times the day he died — with new courts docs revealing just how much the Friends star relied on the drug.
It’s been nearly a year since Matthew Perry died at the age of 54 after he was found unresponsive in the hot tub at his Los Angeles home after taking what would be a fatal dose of ketamine.
And as a months-long investigation comes a head and charges have been leveled against those deemed responsible — in part — for the Friends star’s fatal overdose last year, new information is coming to light about Perry’s final moments.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Perry asked his longtime assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, to “shoot me up with a big one” — meaning another dose of the anesthetic.
Iwamasa allegedly administered at least 3 injections of ketamine to Perry before he was found face down in his hot tub on Oct. 28, 2023.
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An autopsy later determined his cause of death as “acute effects of ketamine.”
While Perry was administered a lethal dose on that fateful day, in an August 15 press conference, the Department of Justice revealed that approximately 20 vials of ketamine were distributed to Perry, in total, between September and October 2023 in exchange for $55,000 cash from him.
Iwamasa — who allegedly worked with Perry’s doctors to administer the drug to his boss — pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death in connection to Perry’s passing.
Two doctors who also worked with the actor, Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Dr. Mark Chavez, were also charged Thursday, along with an alleged drug broker named Erik Fleming and Jasveen Sangha — the woman who’s been dubbed the “Ketamine Queen of Los Angeles.”
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Plasencia and Sangha pled not guilty Thursday and their trials are set for October. Chavez, Fleming and Iwamasa have all struck plea deals.
Perry’s family spoke out after charges were filed, telling fans and supporters of the late TV and film star that they were hopeful for “justice.”
“We were and still are heartbroken by Matthew’s death,” his family, including stepfather Keith Morrison, said in a statement, “but it has helped to know law enforcement has taken his case very seriously. We look forward to justice taking its course.”
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