Matthew Perry, known for his role as Chandler Bing in the popular sitcom Friends, was discovered deceased in the jacuzzi of his Los Angeles home in October. According to the autopsy report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, the cause of death was determined to be an accidental overdose of ketamine, a sedative.
The report stated that Perry, aged 54 at the time of his death, succumbed to the “acute effects” of ketamine, with drowning cited as a secondary cause.
In addition to ketamine, contributing factors to Perry’s death included heart disease and the effects of buprenorphine, a drug used in the treatment of opioid abuse. Perry had been open about his struggles with alcohol and opiate addiction, and he had reportedly undergone ketamine treatment for anxiety and depression.
However, his last known ketamine infusion occurred over a week before his death, a period sufficient for the drug to leave his system.
The exact method of ketamine intake in Perry’s case remains unknown, as the autopsy did not detect alcohol or other drugs such as cocaine, heroin, or fentanyl in his system.
Perry shared in his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” that he had taken ketamine daily at certain points to cope with addiction, pain, and depression.
Matthew Perry, a globally recognized actor during Friends’ 10-year run from 1994 to 2004, received heartfelt tributes from castmates, friends, and fans worldwide. His sudden death deeply affected those close to him, with Jennifer Aniston, who portrayed Rachel on Friends, expressing on Instagram, “Oh boy, this one has cut deep. He was such a part of our DNA. We were always the six of us. This was a chosen family that forever changed the course of who we were and what our path was going to be.”
