Actor Matthew Perry, famous for his role as Chandler in the popular TV series Friends, has died from the “acute effects of ketamine.” It is the result of the autopsy of the body of the actor, who died on October 28 at the age of 54 and was found lifeless in his villa in Los Angeles.
According to the medical examiner who conducted the autopsy released today, the star died due to the amount of ketamine he had in his body. Perry also drowned in his tub, but the coroner said this was a secondary factor as the death was due to ketamine.
The note from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiners said: “Contributing to his death (in addition to drowning) were coronary heart disease and the effects of buprenorphine (used to treat opioid use disorder). The death was an accident.
The actor had used drugs in the past but was reportedly “clean for 19 months.” The coroner said he had reportedly received ketamine therapy to treat depression and anxiety and that he received the last treatment a week and a half before his death.
On the day of his death, Perry had been playing pickleball in the morning. Then his live-in assistant found him face down in the pool after returning from some errands. The counselor told investigators that Perry had not been ill, had no health problems and had shown no signs of recent alcohol or drug use.
Perry had started drinking alcohol as a young man: he was an alcoholic and also struggled with drug addiction. He explained it himself, describing his never-ending battle with alcohol and drugs in his autobiography.