Matthew Perry’s live-in personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, has been sentenced to three years and five months in prison for his central role in the actor’s fatal ketamine overdose.
Iwamasa, 60, received the sentence from Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett in a Los Angeles federal court, which also included two years of probation and a $10,000 fine.
This sentencing marks the fifth and final resolution in the 2 1/2-year investigation and prosecution following the death of the “Friends” star, who passed away at 54 on October 28, 2023.
Iwamasa was a constant presence in Perry’s final days, acting as an enabler, drug messenger, and de facto medical provider. He was the last person to see Perry alive and discovered his body in a Jacuzzi.
Iwamasa was the first to cooperate with prosecutors, pleading guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death.
His testimony became crucial to the prosecution’s case. His lawyers argued in a court filing that he was merely an employee following his employer’s bidding, highlighting a “particular vulnerability” in his relationship with Perry.
“In short, he could not ‘simply say no.’ That inability had tragic consequences,” they stated.
Perry’s family members, some of whom were expected to speak in court, made it unequivocally clear in letters submitted to the judge that they hold Iwamasa most responsible for the actor’s death.
They had considered Iwamasa a longtime friend, trusting him to help Perry maintain sobriety, but instead, he indulged the worst impulses of a lifelong addict, leading to devastating consequences.
The depth of this betrayal was powerfully articulated by Perry’s mother, Suzanne Morrison.
“Mathew 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,” she wrote.
“We trusted a man without a conscience, and my son paid the price,” she added, conveying the family’s profound grief and sense of loss.
Perry had hired Iwamasa in 2022, paying him a substantial $150,000 annually to live at his Los Angeles home and serve as his personal assistant.
The actor had been legally taking the surgical anesthetic ketamine for depression, an increasingly common off-label use. However, he desired more of the drug than his doctor was willing to provide.
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