Kenneth Iwamasa, the longtime personal assistant of late “Friends” actor Matthew Perry, has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for his role in the actor’s fatal ketamine overdose.
Federal prosecutors said Iwamasa repeatedly injected Perry with ketamine in the weeks leading up to his death in October 2023, including the final dose that caused the actor to lose consciousness and drown in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home.
During sentencing, Perry’s family and business manager accused Iwamasa of enabling the actor’s addiction rather than seeking help, despite witnessing several dangerous reactions to the drug.
“I am so sorry to all of you,” Iwamasa told the court while addressing Perry’s family. “I will forever regret what I did.”
Perry’s stepfather, Keith Morrison, criticized Iwamasa for continuing to supply the drug instead of intervening as the actor’s condition worsened.
Keith Morrison, Perry’s stepfather, was the only family member to speak in court. He said Iwamasa failed to raise the alarm about Perry’s deepening ketamine addiction and chose to keep “living like a king” in the star’s home.
“You kept injecting him with more,” Morrison said, looking directly at Iwamasa. “You could have made the phone call but you were living a pretty dandy life.”
An autopsy report concluded that Perry died from the “acute effects of ketamine,” which combined with other factors in causing him to lose consciousness and drown.
Ketamine, a short-acting but potent anesthetic with hallucinogenic properties, is sometimes prescribed to treat depression and other psychological disorders but has gained popularity as an illicit party drug.
Iwamasa had pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death. As part of a plea agreement, he admitted to repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training, including the lethal dose.
Court documents revealed that Iwamasa admitted to administering ketamine without medical training and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death. Prosecutors described him as both Perry’s enabler and drug supplier.
Authorities said Iwamasa later cooperated with investigators and provided evidence that helped secure convictions against several others connected to the case, including doctors and drug suppliers. One dealer known as the “Ketamine Queen” received a 15-year prison sentence.
Before his death at age 54, Perry had publicly spoken about his long struggle with addiction throughout and after his years starring as Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom Friends.
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