Matthew Perry died on October 28 at the age of 54 (Portal)
Actor Matthew Perry, star of the TV series “Friends”, has died as a result “Acute effects of ketamine”The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Department reported this in a statement on Friday.
The death was considered “accidental”the authorities concluded.
“Factors contributing to Mr. Perry’s death included: Drowncoronary heart disease and the effects of buprenorphine (used to treat opioid use disorder),” the statement continued.
Perry, 54, was known worldwide for his portrayal of Chandler Bing on “Friends,” the hugely popular sitcom that ran for 10 seasons between 1994 and 2004.
First responders found Perry unconscious in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home According to authorities, they were unable to revive him on October 28. The next day, investigators conducted the autopsy.
Perry, whose sarcastic and tender personality made millions laugh, struggled with several addictions and serious health problems for years. But his unexpected death caused shock.
Ketamine is a medication that is used in some cases to treat depression. The toxicology report found no traces of alcohol, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin or fentanyl.
As the actor himself confessed in his book “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing” (2022), he suffered several episodes of drug and alcohol addiction during his role in “Friends”. “I enjoyed everything about the show, but I struggled with addiction issues, which increased my feelings of shame,” he wrote in his memoir. “He had a secret and no one could know.”
The cast of the hit television series “Friends”
His death came as a shock to fans of the series and also to his co-stars, who shared emotional farewell tributes. That same week, the actress said in an interview with Variety Jennifer Aniston He had referred to his friend: “He was happy. He was healthy. He had stopped smoking. He got into shape. “I was happy, that’s all I know.”
Perry's autopsy found that “given the high levels of ketamine found in his postmortem blood samples, the primary fatal effects would be both hyperstimulation of the cardiovascular system and respiratory depression,” CNN reported.
The actor “received ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety.”explained the forensic experts, adding that his last treatment took place a week and a half before his death.
The investigation into Perry's death revealed that he had been playing pickleball that same day and his live-in assistant found him face down in the hot tub after he returned from running errands. The deputy told investigators that Perry was not ill, had no underlying health conditions and showed no signs of recent alcohol or drug use. According to the report, the actor had used drugs in the past but had not used drugs in “19 months.”
(With information from AFP, AP, EFE and EuropaPress)