Friends star Matthew Perry died from complications of ketamine and drowning, his autopsy revealed.
“The Los Angeles County coroner has determined the cause of death for 54-year-old actor Matthew Langford Perry to be the acute effects of ketamine,” the Los Angeles coroner’s office said Friday.
“Factors contributing to Mr. Perry's death include drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine (used to treat opioid use disorder). The manner of death is accidental.'
Perry, 54, was found dead in his Los Angeles home at 4:17 p.m. on October 28, stunning the world of show business and breaking the hearts of fans worldwide.
“Friends” star Matthew Perry was killed by ketamine and drowning, and his death was ruled an accident. He is pictured on October 22 – the last time he was seen in public
In his last post on Instagram, posted the week of his death, the star shared pictures of himself in his pool
He was pronounced dead at the scene and the medical examiner performed the autopsy on October 29.
Ketamine can be prescribed as a medical treatment, but it is unclear whether the drugs in Perry's system were purchased with a prescription.
Months before his death, he published a tell-all memoir that included shocking details of his drug and alcohol addictions.
But he said in October 2022 that he was 18 months sober, although that was a year before his death.
Those who knew him claim Perry was clean and sober at the time of his death.
When investigators searched Perry's home, they did not find illegal drugs, but rather prescription medications that were properly labeled and stored in storage bottles.
The Batman logo at the bottom of his pool is seen here in a daylight aerial shot
Police officers have cordoned off the road leading to Matthew Perry's home, where he was found dead on October 28
Matthew Perry died from the acute effects of ketamine combined with drowning, the Los Angeles coroner's office has revealed
WHAT IS KETAMINE?
Ketamine is a powerful general anesthetic used to prevent pain in people and animals during surgery.
It was first used as a party drug in the late 2000s and was taken by people before raves to get a more intense experience.
What are the side effects?
Ketamine causes loss of sensation and paralysis of the muscles.
It can also cause people to experience a distortion of reality that many refer to as “entering the “K-hole.”
This is when people believe they have spoken to God or a higher power, which can lead to addiction as they crave that experience.
Ketamine can also cause people to feel unable to move, experience hallucinations, or lead to panic attacks, confusion, and memory loss.
Regular use can cause serious bladder damage, which may require surgical removal.
Other risks include increased heart rate and increased blood pressure.
Paralysis of muscles can cause people to injure themselves. If they don't feel the pain properly, it can lead them to underestimate the potential damage.
Many claim withdrawal from ketamine is worse than any other drug, and some feel so depressed that they consider suicide.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the Samaritans here.
How is it taken and what is the law about it?
For medical purposes, ketamine is liquid, but the “street drug” is usually a grainy, white powder.
In 1999, ketamine became a Schedule III non-narcotic substance under the Controlled Substances Act. It is currently used in medicine for short-term sedation and anesthesia.
In 2019, the FDA approved a version of the drug for treatment-resistant depression that is only available in doctors' offices or clinics.
Source: Conversation with Frank, US Drug Enforcement Association
In the memoir “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” Perry wrote that after his colon exploded in 2018, he was prescribed opiates that he felt were not enough to relieve his pain.
This led him to turn to street dealers to supply him with potentially deadly fentanyl-laced OxyContin.
“The street pills were about $75 a pill, so I gave the guy $3,000 several times a week,” he wrote.
Perry wrote that he spent $9 million trying to get sober, attended 6,000 AA meetings, went to rehab 15 times and detoxed 65 times.
He said he overcame the addiction in 2021 and is living a healthier lifestyle.
He took up pickle ball – a game similar to tennis and table tennis – and usually played it twice a day, friends said.
Perry was found underwater by his assistant, who lifted his head to give him some air, first responders previously revealed.
Captain Erik Scott of the LAFD said, “City of Los Angeles firefighters responded.” [and] found an adult male unconscious in a freestanding hot tub.
“A bystander had lifted the man’s head above the water and brought him to the edge, then firefighters pulled him out of the water when they arrived.”
“Unfortunately, a quick medical examination revealed that the man had already died before first responders arrived.”
Perry wrote in his memoirs that throughout his drug addiction and recovery, he had a personal assistant who he considered his rock and his “best friend.”
Morgan Moses, mentioned in the book only by the pseudonym “Erin,” first met Perry when he was admitted to a rehab facility where she worked.
The couple then struck up a friendship that lasted nearly a decade and became the closest and most loving – albeit always platonic – relationship of his life.
Moses, 37, is a “sober companion” who the troubled Friends star described as “the nicest person in the world.”
On her LinkedIn page, Moses says she has been working “full-time” as a “sober companion” since 2018.
Her listed competencies include “therapeutic crisis intervention,” “mental health first aid,” “behavioral intervention,” and “nutritional counseling.”
Originally a website designer, she graduated from Full Sail University in Florida. Her social media suggests that she has also had her own struggles with addiction and her own journey to sobriety.