August 15: Arrests have been made in the investigation into the death of ‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry, who was discovered unresponsive at his Los Angeles home in October. A post-mortem examination revealed that Perry’s death was caused by “the acute effects of ketamine,” a controlled substance he was using as part of supervised therapy.
In May, an investigation was launched to understand why Perry, 54, had such high levels of the drug in his system at the time of his death.
Reports indicate that arrests were made in connection with this investigation, though officials have not yet publicly confirmed the details. Ketamine, known for its powerful anesthetic properties, is also used to treat conditions like depression, anxiety, and pain. Close contacts of Perry informed investigators that he had been undergoing ketamine infusion therapy, but his last session occurred more than a week before his death. The medical examiner ruled out the possibility that the ketamine in his system was from the therapy due to the drug’s short half-life.
The levels of ketamine found in Perry’s body were comparable to those administered during general anesthesia. This raised questions about how Perry, who had not attended a supervised session in days, obtained the drug, prompting further legal investigation.
Drowning was also listed as a contributing factor in Perry’s death, which was ultimately ruled an accident. Additional factors included coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder.
During his career, Perry struggled with addiction to painkillers and alcohol, attending rehabilitation multiple times. In his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry opened up about his battle with substance use. He revealed that he had been mostly sober since 2001, with some exceptions, and admitted that he could not remember three years of filming Friends due to his substance abuse.
