Matthew Perry’s Assistant Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison in Connection With the Friends Star’s Death

Matthew Perry’s death continues to generate legal consequences nearly two years after the beloved Friends actor drowned in his hot tub while under the influence of ketamine in October 2023. Kenneth Iwamasa, Perry’s longtime live-in assistant, has now been sentenced to 41 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges tied to the actor’s fatal overdose.

Prosecutors said Iwamasa played a central role in helping Perry obtain ketamine during the final weeks of his life and admitted to injecting the actor despite having no medical training. Court filings and investigators’ findings allege that Perry had grown increasingly reliant on ketamine treatments as he struggled with substance abuse issues that had affected much of his adult life. Authorities also said Iwamasa administered multiple injections on the day Perry died, including one shortly before the actor was found unresponsive.

Perry was discovered in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023. His death was later ruled accidental, with the acute effects of ketamine listed as the primary cause. Drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine were also listed as contributing factors.

The sentencing adds another significant development to the broader investigation into Perry’s final days. Since his death, several people connected to the actor have been arrested or charged in relation to the case, as prosecutors have worked to trace how ketamine reached Perry and who benefited from supplying it. Iwamasa later cooperated with authorities as the case expanded to include multiple defendants accused of exploiting Perry’s addiction struggles.

The tragedy has drawn renewed attention to Perry’s long history of addiction and recovery, which he openly discussed in interviews and in his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. For many fans, Perry will always be remembered as Chandler Bing, the quick-witted and lovable character he played on Friends. But his death revealed the private pain he carried behind his public success.

With Iwamasa’s sentencing, the legal fallout from Perry’s death continues to unfold, underscoring the devastating consequences of substance abuse and the complex chain of events that led to the actor’s death at age 54.