The results of an autopsy on the 54-year-old Friends actor revealed that he died from the acute effects of the anaesthetic ketamine, while drowning was a secondary factor. His death at the age of 54 has been deemed an accident.
The Autopsy Report
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said Perry also drowned in “the heated end of his pool” in which he was found, but that it was a secondary factor in his October 28 death, deemed an accident.
The report said Perry’s coronary artery disease and use of buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid use disorder, could have also contributed.
It would have been risky to mix the central nervous system depressant with ketamine “due to the additive respiratory effects when present with high levels of ketamine”, according to the autopsy report.
The report said coronary artery disease would have made Perry more susceptible to the drugs’ effects.
Perry was declared dead after being found unresponsive at his home in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. Investigators performed an autopsy the following day.
The Ketamine Therapy
People close to Perry told investigators he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy, an experimental treatment used to treat depression and anxiety.
But the medical examiner said the levels of ketamine in Perry’s body were in the range used for general anaesthesia during surgery, and that his last treatment over a week earlier would not explain those levels. The drug is typically metabolised in a matter of hours.
The amount of ketamine detected “would be enough to make him lose consciousness and lose his posture and his ability to keep himself above the water”, medical toxicologist Andrew Stolbach, who reviewed the autopsy report, told The Associated Press.
The Friend’s Tributes
Matthew Perry’s Friends co-stars Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox and Matt LeBlanc released a joint statement two days after his death, and the five reportedly attended a private memorial service for him.
Jennifer Aniston said the loss of her co-star has cut deep and that he was one of the funniest people I ever met.
David Schwimmer said he was heartbroken; he was a brilliant actor and a wonderful friend.
Lisa Kudrow said she was devastated, and that Perry was a kind, generous, and hilarious person.
Courteney Cox said she was in shock and that Perry was a loyal, loving, and supportive friend.
Matt LeBlanc said he was shattered Perry was a brother to me and a great talent.
The actor, who played Chandler Bing on Friends from 1994 to 2004, had taken drugs in the past but had been reportedly clean for 19 months, according to the report.
Perry had played pickleball earlier in the day, the report said, and his assistant, who lives with him, found him face down in the hot tub section of his pool after returning from errands.
Perry was open about his struggles with addiction dating back to his time on Friends in the 1990s.
“I loved everything about the show but I was struggling with my addictions, which only added to my sense of shame,” he wrote in his 2022 memoir.
“I had a secret and no-one could know.”
What are your memories of Matthew Perry and his role as Chandler Bing? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
