Matthew Perry, renowned for his role as Chandler Bing in the hit sitcom “Friends,” died accidentally due to the “acute effects of ketamine,” which is used as a therapy for mental health problems, according to the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner.
The 54-year-old actor was found unresponsive in his hot tub on Oct. 28. The post-mortem examination revealed that apart from ketamine, other contributing factors leading to his death included drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine, an opioid-like drug used to treat drug addiction and for pain.
According to a statement released by the medical examiner’s office, the 54-year-old’s death was ruled an accident.
Raffi Djabourian, senior deputy medical examiner, said that high levels of ketamine in Perry’s post-mortem blood specimens led to lethal “cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression.” The drowning was a contributing factor, likely due to unconsciousness and submersion in the pool, Djabourian added.
“Drowning contributes due to the likelihood of submersion into the pool as he lapsed into unconsciousness; coronary artery disease contributes due to exacerbation of ketamine induced myocardial effects on the heart,” Djabourian wrote.
The autopsy report also highlighted Perry’s struggle with coronary artery disease, exacerbated by the effects of ketamine.
Perry was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety, with his last treatment about one-and-a-half weeks before his death. The medical examiner clarified that the ketamine found in his system at the time of death was not from this therapy, but the exact method of intake remained unspecified.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, ketamine is a “dissociative anesthetic that has some hallucinogenic effects.” The drug “distorts the perception of sight and sound and makes the user feel disconnected and not in control.”
“It is referred to as a ‘dissociative anesthetic hallucinogen’ because it makes patients feel detached from their pain and environment,” the DEA states.
Perry had reportedly been clean from drug use for 19 months prior to his death, the autopsy report states, according to People.
Throughout his life, Perry was candid about his battles with substance abuse and addiction.
In his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir, Perry discussed receiving ketamine treatments at a rehab center in Switzerland during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Independent.
“They’d bring me into a room, sit me down, put headphones on me so I could listen to music, blindfold me, and put an IV in,” Perry wrote.
“As the music played and the K ran through me, it all became about the ego, and the death of the ego. And I often thought that I was dying during that hour. Oh, I thought, this is what happens when you die,” he continued.
Perry established a sober living facility for men facing similar challenges with addiction. The Matthew Perry Foundation was founded to assist those struggling with addiction.
Born in Massachusetts, Perry began his television career as a child actor in 1979 with a role in “240-Robert.” He gained fame as Chandler Bing in the popular sitcom “Friends” from 1994 to 2004. His film career included roles in “Fools Rush In” and “The Whole Nine Yards.” Perry’s final film appearance was in the 2009 Disney movie “17 Again.” He was also part of the 2021 HBO Max special “Friends: The Reunion.”
The actor received several accolades, including a Golden Globe nomination and four Primetime Emmy nominations.
Hospitalized for a burst colon due to opioid abuse, Perry revealed on HBO’s “Real Time” last November that he was given a 2% survival chance. Perry stated he never intended to die but acknowledged his resilience in his sobriety journey.
On the show, the outspoken atheist Bill Maher joked that God “must be a fan” of Perry’s, to which the actor replied that he knows Maher’s belief about the Creator, but he does, in fact, believe in a “higher power.”
“I believe there is a higher power,” Perry testified. “I have a very close relationship with Him that’s helped me a lot.”
In interviews, Perry openly discussed pivotal moments, including the first time he prayed for fame and the euphoria he felt after his first bottle of wine at age 14. Perry believed fame would cure his addiction but later realized it worsened it.
In an interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer in November 2022, Perry said anything could be done to him so long as he became famous.
“That was the first time I ever prayed. And I look back at it as a dumb prayer, like a prayer of a really young person,” he told Sawyer.
Perry, who moved from Ottawa, Canada, to Los Angeles at a young age, struggled with addiction from his teenage years. Despite these challenges, he believed his book and openness about his struggles would help others battling addiction. His second to last social media post emphasized mental health awareness, reflecting his commitment to helping others in similar situations.
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