Autopsy reveals cause of death of ‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry

Actor Matthew Perry died from “acute exposure to ketamine,” an autopsy report says. Contributing factors to the Friends star’s death were “drowning, coronary artery disease and buprenorphine exposure.”

Matthew Perry died from “acute exposure to ketamine,” the Los Angeles County medical examiner said Friday.

“At the high levels of ketamine found in his post-mortem blood samples, the primary lethal consequences would have been both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression,” the report said. According to the findings of the examination, the artist’s death was recognized as an accident.

According to the autopsy, Perry’s last known treatment occurred a week and a half before his death, well after the time the drug was still in his system after treatment.

The Friends star was found “unconscious in the pool at his residence” on October 28 and pronounced dead at the age of 54, The Guardian recalls. The medical examiner ruled that death was an accident.

A neighborhood assistant discovered Perry’s unresponsive body in the pool after returning home from running errands, a summary of the autopsy report said.

“The assistant jumped into the pool, moved the decedent to a sitting position on the steps and called 911,” the report states.

Perry’s cause of death is believed to be drowning “due to the possibility of being submerged in the pool while he became unconscious,” the autopsy report said.

“The assistant did not report any recent illnesses, complaints, or alcohol or drug use,” the report said.

Perry, who rose to fame as Chandler Bing in the US sitcom Friends, was reportedly receiving ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety before his death, Variety reports.

An autopsy found Perry died from “acute exposure to ketamine,” while contributing factors included “drowning, coronary artery disease and exposure to buprenorphine,” which is used to treat opioid use disorder.

Experts say that although the levels of ketamine in Perry’s system were very high, it is unclear whether they would have been fatal on their own, CNN notes.

Dr. Ed Boyer, a professor of emergency medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, said that “the elevated concentrations of ketamine indicate a high level of ketamine use.”

“Given that his last ketamine treatment was at least a week prior, abuse cannot be ruled out, even for recreational purposes,” the expert added.

Dr. Victor Weedn, a professor in the Department of Forensic Sciences at George Washington University, noted that people may respond differently to different levels of ketamine and that it can be fatal due to its effects on breathing.

The actor openly talked about his struggle with addiction and sobriety, and also created a sober living center for men with similar problems, writes The Guardian.

In his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Bad, Perry wrote about how he became an alcoholic and addicted to painkillers as a teenager after a jet ski accident in 1997. Matthew wrote that his addictions had a major impact on his life, at one point he fell into a coma, and it cost him about $7 million to give up his addictions.

After his death, a fund was created in his name to help those struggling with addiction, The Guardian notes.

Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry’s co-star in the film Friends, said that everything was fine with the actor before his death.

“He was happy. He was healthy. He gave up smoking. He was getting into shape. He was happy – that’s all I know,” the actress told Variety. “I was literally texting him that morning, funny Matty. He wasn’t in pain. He didn’t resist. He was happy. He gave up smoking. He was getting into shape”