As Friends fans mark what would have been Chandler Bing star Matthew Perry’s 55th birthday, Daily Star has taken a deep dive inside his heartbreaking death

Matthew Perry was one of the most beloved TV stars to grace our screens.

The Friends star was known for his infamous role as Chandler Bing in the American hit TV show. When the show came to an end after 10 years on our screens in 2004, the actor went on to secure a series of big roles in several other major movies.

He went on to star in films such as 17 Again, The Ron Clark Story and The End of Steve. But the Hollywood star never forgot his roots, and regularly made cameo appearances in other sitcoms such as Scrubs, The Good Wife and The Odd Couple.

But his success didn’t come without its struggles, with the actor openly sharing his struggles with addiction throughout his acting career. Perry battled alcohol and substance abuse throughout all of his adult life.

The actor sadly died in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home on October 2023 at the age of 54. As fans mark what would have been the actor’s 55th birthday, Daily Star has taken a deep dive inside his heartbreaking death.

Fatal addiction

Matthew Perry’s addiction to drugs began three years into his role on Friends (Image: NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Matthew Perry’s battle with addiction started just three years into filming Friends when he got hooked on painkillers following a jet ski accident in 1997. The actor became addicted to Vicodin and continued taking the pills even after his injuries had healed.

Opening up about the start of his struggles to People in 2002, Matthew said: “It wasn’t my intention to have a problem with it. But from the start I liked how it made me feel, and I wanted to get more.”

Fans of the show quickly noticed that Matthew had suddenly lost weight and became concerned about his health. “I was out of control and very unhealthy,” Matthew said, jokingly adding, “I returned to my original birth weight.”

He got hooked on painkillers following a jet ski accident in 1997 (Image: NBC via Getty Images)
Over the years, the actor battled with his addiction to drugs and alcohol and went to rehab 15 times in an attempt to curb the habit. Not only that, but the star spent more than £7million fighting his demons.

Perry had undergone therapy twice a week for 30 years and attended more than 6,000 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings which he detailed in his autobiography in 2022. He wrote: “It is very odd to live in a world where, if you died, it would shock people but surprise no one.”

In the weeks leading up to his death, the actor had been undergoing ketamine infusion therapy. This is used to treat depression in cases where traditional anti-depressants have not been effective.

Professor Rupert McShane, a University of Oxford psychiatrist who runs an NHS ketamine treatment clinic explained: “At a biological level, it probably turns off the area of the brain that is involved in disappointment. That area is probably involved in depression.”

Downward spiral

One month before his death, the star started using ketamine to treat his anxiety and depression (Image: Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Court documents explain the actor was taking ketamine six to eight times a day before he died.

Five people, including his live-in personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, have been charged in connection with Perry’s death. Eric Fleming, doctors March Chavez and Salvador Plasencia (known as “Dr P”), and Jasveen Sangha who was referred to as the “Ketamine Queen” also face criminal charges.

It’s alleged Sangha would sell ketamine to Fleming, an acquaintance of Perry’s, who would sell it to Iwamasa. Dr Chavez, who ran a ketamine clinic, allegedly sold ketamine that he’d previously got via a fraudulent prescription to Dr Plasencia.

The actor would take the illegal substance more than twice a day (Image: US District Court Central District)
The documents allege Perry asked Iwamasa to get ketamine for him in September last year as he wanted ketamine treatments to treat his depression.

Dr Plasencia contacted his associate Chavez, who was willing to supply the required ketamine. Plasencia allegedly delivered two injections to Perry before teaching Iwamasa how to administer it.

In early October, Iwamasa allegedly told Plasencia their supply was running out and they needed more – Plasencia visited Perry’s home and sold him one or more vials of the drug, the documents claim.

His live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa delivered several doses of the drug to Perry (Image: Linkedin)
Perry’s assistant allegedly met Plasencia at least seven times between September 30 and October 28. It’s alleged Iwamasa paid over at least $55,000 (£42,492) of Perry’s money, with authorities accusing the suspects of exploiting his drug addiction.

Final words

According to court documents, the actor asked his assistant to “shoot me up with a big one” before his death (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Iwamasa allegedly requested another batch of 25 vials of ketamine from Fleming three days before Perry’s death. On October 26, Iwamasa allegedly gave Perry at least six shots of ketamine.

According to the court documents, Perry allegedly received shots of ketamine from Iwamasa at around 8.30am and again at 12.45pm on the day that he died. The documents also allege the actor had been found unconscious at his home twice prior to his passing.

It is understood, the star asked his assistant to “shoot me up with a big one” shortly before he was found unresponsive in his hot tub. Iwamasa found Perry lying face down in his hot tub after returning to the property, having run errands.

Tragic death

The Friends star died at the age of 54 (Image: INSTAGRAM)
Paramedics arrived within minutes and pronounced Perry dead at the scene.

An autopsy by The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed the 54-year-old died from the “acute effects of ketamine”.

Iwamasa, Chavez and Fleming have pleaded guilty to providing the actor with the ketamine that killed him, but Plasencia and Sangha have pleaded not guilty and will go to trial.

Eye-watering will

The Hollywood favourite left $1million in his will to a trust named after a Woody Allen character (Image: Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Following his death, the actor left more than $1million (£780,850) in a trust he set up and named after a Woody Allen character. The actor created his will in 2009.

In the document, he stated his wish to leave “a majority of his belongings to a trust.” Matthew created the Alvy Singer Living Trust, which he named after Woody Allen’s Annie Hall character.

According to court documents, Matthew’s personal property was valued as a “little over $1million”. Lisa Ferguson and Robin Ruzan are listed as co-executors of the will.

His co-star Lisa Kidrow adopted his dog Alfred shortly after his death (Image: INSTAGRAM)
Matthew listed his father John Perry and mother Suzanne Morrison as beneficiaries of his will, according to court documents obtained by Page Six. The actor’s half-sibling Caitlin Morrison and ex-girlfriend Rachel Dunn are also said to be beneficiaries.