Matthew Perry, the «Friends» actor who publicly struggled with alcohol and drug use for decades, died from the «acute effects» of ketamine, an anesthetic with psychedelic properties, the Office of the Commissioner said. Los Angeles County medical examiner in a released autopsy report. Friday.
Perry was found unconscious in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on October 28. He was 54 years old.
The medical examiner’s office said drowning, coronary heart disease and the effects of an opioid, buprenorphine, contributed to his death.
But the autopsy attributed his death primarily to the “acute effects of ketamine.” Ketamine is a powerful anesthetic that has become increasingly popular as an alternative therapy for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other difficult-to-treat mental health conditions. It is also used for recreational purposes.
The autopsy report indicated that Perry had undergone ketamine infusion therapy, but that the ketamine in his system could not have come from his last known therapy session, which took place about a week and a half before his death.
“At the high levels of ketamine found in his postmortem blood samples, the primary lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression,” the autopsy report states. He noted that the level of ketamine found in Perry’s blood was equivalent to the amount that would be used during general anesthesia.
The Food and Drug Administration issued an alert in October warning of the dangers of treating psychiatric disorders with compounded versions of the drug.
Toxicology tests also detected “therapeutic” levels of buprenorphine, a drug that medical examiners said was used to treat drug addiction and for pain; Perry’s live-in assistant said in a witness statement that he was seeing a psychiatrist and taking buprenorphine twice a day as prescribed. Investigators also found traces of sedatives, but found no traces of alcohol, methamphetamine or cocaine.
Records unsealed as part of the autopsy report provided new details about the day of Perry’s death.
Witnesses told detectives that Perry had been playing pickleball at 11 a.m. His assistant left the house to run errands around 1:37 p.m., and when he returned at 4 p.m., he found him “floating face down,” records show. The aide jumped out, moved Perry to the steps and called 911. Responding paramedics pulled Perry out of the water and onto the grass before pronouncing him dead, records show.
Dr. Judy Melinek, a medical examiner unaffiliated with the investigation into Perry’s death, said in October that test results could take weeks due to a lack of qualified toxicologists, funding and equipment.
“It’s normal that it takes time,” Melinek said. “Sometimes it takes months to conduct a proper investigation. »
Perry has not been shy about speaking publicly about his problems with alcohol and drugs, which sometimes led to hospitalizations for various illnesses. By his own account, Perry had spent more than half his life in treatment and rehabilitation centers.
In his 2022 memoir, «Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,» Perry shared in detail some of the health issues he faced over the years, including a series of medical episodes in 2018 that included a pneumonia, a colon explosion, a brief stay on life support, two weeks in a coma, nine months in a colostomy bag and more than half a dozen stomach surgeries.
Perry was just 24 years old when he was cast in «Friends,» a series that would change his life forever and put him firmly in the spotlight. This sitcom ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 and ultimately earned him and his co-stars $1 million per episode. During «Friends», Perry starred in a number of films, some of which failed to win over audiences at the box office, including «Almost Heroes» (1998) with Chris Farley and «Three to Tango» (1999). ).
Following Perry’s death, tributes from fans and friends flooded the internet, with many remembering him for his acting talent, kindness and courage in the face of challenges. His fellow «Friends» cast members said in a joint statement that they were «completely devastated» by Perry’s sudden death. “We were more than just castmates,” the statement said. «We are a family.»
A private funeral for Perry was held on November 3, according to People. The magazine says a service was held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, a cemetery where many of Hollywood’s biggest stars were buried, including Debbie Reynolds, Paul Walker and Bob Barker.
Orlando Mayorquin And Andrew Jacobs reports contributed.