Matthew Perry's ketamine supply source being probed as part of 'open investigation' 7 months after death
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The Los Angeles Police Department has announced they have opened an investigation into the death of actor Matthew Perry, famous for his role in the hit TV sitcom 'Friends', the BBC reported.
Perry died in October 2023 due to "acute effects of ketamine," according to medical officials.
LA Police launch investigation into Matthew Perry's death
The investigation will focus on how Perry acquired the anesthetic ketamine, which was present in his system at the time of his death.
Drowning was also cited as a contributing factor in Perry's death, which has been officially ruled an accident. The Los Angeles Police Department, in coordination with the Drug Enforcement Agency and the US Postal Inspection Service, is leading the investigation.
"Drowning contributes due to the likelihood of submersion into the pool as he lapsed into unconsciousness; coronary artery disease contributes due to exacerbation of ketamine-induced myocardial effects on the heart,” he said.
The specifics of the investigation's progress and the individuals interviewed remain unclear, as initially reported.
Perry was discovered unresponsive in the pool of his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2-23, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
In December, the LA County medical examiner’s office revealed that Perry had high levels of ketamine in his post-mortem blood specimen. Senior deputy medical examiner Raffi Djabourian identified coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine, a medication for opioid use disorder, as additional factors in Perry's death.
Djabourian stated, "Drowning contributes due to the likelihood of submersion into the pool as he lapsed into unconsciousness; coronary artery disease contributes due to exacerbation of ketamine-induced myocardial effects on the heart."
At the time of his death, Perry was undergoing medically supervised ketamine treatments for depression and anxiety, although his last treatment was administered a week and a half before his death.
Throughout his career, Perry battled addiction to painkillers and alcohol, frequently attending rehabilitation clinics.
In a 2016 interview with BBC Radio 2, he admitted that he could not remember three years of filming 'Friends' due to substance abuse. Despite his struggles, Perry documented in his memoir that he had been mostly sober since 2001, except for "about 60 or 70 mishaps."
The ongoing investigation aims to uncover the circumstances surrounding Perry's access to ketamine and any potential implications it may have had on his untimely death.
Matthew Perry 'lied' about sobriety before death for book sales
In January 2024, reports surrounding Perry suggested that his claims of sobriety in the months leading up to his death might have been exaggerated for promotional purposes.
According to sources cited by the New York Post, Perry's assertions of being clean and sober for 19 months before his death were allegedly part of a calculated strategy to enhance sales of his 2022 memoir.
These claims, which were made during the promotion of his book, were being challenged by anonymous insiders who asserted that the narrative of sobriety was more about marketing than reality.
Despite public assertions from some friends, such as former co-star Jennifer Aniston, that Perry appeared to be sober and stable, anonymous sources now contest this portrayal.
They claimed that Perry's supposed sobriety was a "lie," with one insider alleging that his motivations were primarily driven by the desire to sell books rather than an authentic commitment to sobriety.
Perry utilized the celebrity dating app Raya to connect with young women who could provide him with drugs.
According to sources, he would establish contact with these individuals through FaceTime calls before inviting them to his home, where he allegedly consumed substances away from public scrutiny.
