Matthew Perry's family members have spoken out against his former assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, ahead of his sentencing in connection with the 'Friends' star's death. In letters presented to a Los Angeles courtroom, they accused Iwamasa of betraying their loved one and leaving him to die.
Background of the Case
Iwamasa was charged along with four others in connection with Perry's ketamine overdose death in 2023. Perry had hired Iwamasa in 2022 as his live-in assistant for an annual salary of $150,000, with responsibilities including managing his medical care, according to prosecutors. Perry, who had a long history of addiction, was reportedly undergoing ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety.
The Department of Justice stated that Iwamasa purchased the drug from Erik Fleming, who obtained it from Jasveen Sangha, known as the 'Ketamine Queen.' Fleming was sentenced to two years in prison earlier this month, while Sangha received a 15-year sentence on April 8. Last December, Dr. Salvador Plasencia was sentenced to two-and-a-half years, and Dr. Mark Chavez received an eight-month home sentence for their roles in Perry's death.
Iwamasa's Guilty Plea and Role
Iwamasa was the first defendant to reach a plea deal, pleading guilty in August 2024 to conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death. His testimony was crucial in securing convictions against the others. In the weeks leading up to Perry's death, Iwamasa was injecting him with ketamine six to eight times daily. On the day of his death, Perry asked Iwamasa to 'shoot me up with a big one,' which Iwamasa did before leaving to run errands. Upon returning, he found Perry dead in a Jacuzzi.
An autopsy report released in December 2023 determined that Perry died from the acute effects of ketamine, with contributing factors including drowning, coronary artery disease, and buprenorphine effects. The medical examiner noted that the ketamine levels in Perry's body were consistent with general anesthesia, and his last treatment less than two weeks prior would have dissipated within hours.
Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of at least three years and five months for Iwamasa. Following the arrests, law enforcement officials revealed details of a 'broad underground criminal network' tied to Perry's drug use. Iwamasa initially hid Perry's ketamine use from investigators but later confessed after search warrants were served.
Family's Emotional Statements
In letters to Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett, Perry's family expressed deep betrayal. His mother, Suzanne Morrison, wrote, 'Matthew trusted Kenny. We trusted Kenny. Kenny's most important job — by far — was to be my son's companion and guardian in his fight against addiction. We trusted a man without a conscience, and my son paid the price.'
Perry's sisters, Caitlin and Madeline Morrison, also submitted statements. Madeline described Iwamasa as someone who left her brother 'in a hot tub to die.' She added, 'It is difficult to put into words the sense of betrayal I felt when I found out what Kenny had done.' She also criticized Iwamasa for speaking at Perry's funeral, calling it 'a cruel joke.' Caitlin said she had no sympathy for Iwamasa, stating, 'I will never know if the lethal dose of ketamine was only lethal by accident. But I know that when Kenny left the house, he was either escaping from something he knew he had done or willfully abandoning a vulnerable person in a dangerous situation.'
Perry had been open about his struggles with addiction, which began in his teenage years, as detailed in his 2022 memoir 'Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.'
