Trigger warning: This article contains references to drug addiction
Last week’s arrests in connection with Matthew Perry’s fatal drug overdose have “brought back a lot of emotions” for some of his closest friends.
According to People , the U.S. Attorney’s Office charged five individuals in connection to Perry’s death on Thursday, August 15: two doctors, a woman known as the Ketamine Queen, an alleged distributor, and Perry’s personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. The late actor’s PA said in his plea agreement to the Department of Justice that Perry asked him to “shoot me with a big pill” just hours before his death.
Iwamasa was the person who first discovered Perry’s lifeless body and was the first to speak to law enforcement agencies last year.
Also read: Matthew Perry death investigation: Details on the biggest revelations
For those close to Perry, the arrests have stirred up deep emotions, says People’s source. “Matthew had true friends who loved and cared about him. They would all try to help him if he reached out for help.”
“He was hurt by the fact that he was surrounded by supporters,” the source said.
When announcing the charges against the defendants last week, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada claimed that these criminals took advantage of the public’s knowledge of Perry’s drug issues to “enrich themselves.” He stressed that selling dangerous substances is gambling with other people’s lives, while assuring that Perry’s case, along with many other prosecutions of drug deals, will send a clear message to crooks who participate in similar activities.
Perry, who in addition to the hit NBC sitcom, also starred in films like Fools Rush In, The Whole Nine Yards, and Three to Tango, has spoken openly about his battle with addiction, telling the aforementioned publication in September 2022 that he has been mostly sober since 2001 and has relapsed about 60 or 70 times over the years.
According to the DOJ, Perry had relapsed into drug abuse a few months before his death.
Matthew Perry was greatly missed on his first birthday after his death. The Friends star would have turned 55 on Monday, August 19. For those who don’t know, the actor was found face down in his jacuzzi on October 28, 2023. Medical examiners attributed his death to the “acute effects of ketamine,” a controlled anesthetic drug.
If you know someone who is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the authorities and report it. There are many helplines available for this.
Also read: Matthew Perry Birthday: Recall 10 best Chandler Bing moments on Friends star’s 55th birthday
