Matthew Perry’s Personal Assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Prison
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- Kenneth Iwamasa, the personal assistant to actor Matthew Perry, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for injecting Perry with ketamine that caused his death, along with two years of supervised release, a $10,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
- Iwamasa pleaded guilty in 2024 to conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death and is the last of five individuals charged in connection with Perry’s death to be sentenced.
- Perry, known for his role in "Friends," had become increasingly dependent on ketamine and was injected with at least 27 doses by Iwamasa in the days leading up to his death on October 28, 2023.
- Prosecutors revealed that Iwamasa spent tens of thousands of dollars on ketamine vials for Perry over several weeks, contributing to the actor’s fatal overdose.
- The Los Angeles County medical examiner ruled Perry’s death was caused by the acute effects of ketamine, with drowning, coronary artery disease, and the opioid buprenorphine as contributing factors; Perry was found face down in his hot tub.