Matthew Perry’s Live‑In Assistant Kenneth Iwamasa Given 41 Months For Supplying Fatal Ketamine

Matthew Perry’s former live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa has been sentenced to three years and five months in prison for his role in the actor’s 2023 death.

A US federal judge handed down the 41-month sentence on May 27, after Iwamasa previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, resulting in death. He was also ordered to pay fines of $10,000 and a $100 mandatory special assessmen, and will serve two years of supervised release following his prison term. He must surrender to authorities by July 17.

Perry, best known for playing Chandler Bing on Friends, died on October 28, 2023. His death was later ruled to be caused by the acute effects of ketamine.

Perry died in 2023. (Image: Brian Ach/Invision/AP, File)

As part of his plea agreement, Iwamasa admitted to repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine in the days leading up to his death, including three times on the day he died. According to court documents, after receiving two doses that day, Perry asked him to “shoot me up with a big one”. Iwamasa later left the house to run errands, and when he returned, Perry was found face down in his jacuzzi.

The United States’ Attorney Office shared that “Iwamasa also took steps to remove and destroy evidence related to Perry’s use of ketamine in the days leading up to the actor’s death”, in a statement.

“After doing so, Iwamasa contacted [Erik] Fleming on the phone and told him that he had cleaned up the scene, including the ketamine bottles and syringes, and that he had ‘deleted everything’, according to court documents,” the statement continued.

Fleming was a drug counselor and was sentenced to two years in jail earlier this month for helping supply the ketamine that killed Perry.

*Kenneth Iwamasa is one of five people who pleaded guilty in the ketamine overdose death of Perry. (Image: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)*

In court, Iwamasa addressed Perry’s family directly.

“I’m so sorry to all of you. You all know how much Matthew loved you. I’m so sorry to have done illegal acts,” he said.

“I will forever regret it and I will take it to my grave and be a cautionary tale and make better choices than I did. I’m horribly, horribly sorry and I offer my condolences to you.”

The sentencing hearing also included emotional statements from Perry’s loved ones. His stepfather, journalist Keith Morrison, criticised Iwamasa for failing to intervene, telling the court: “You could have called someone … you didn’t do that, did you?”

He added, “But you didn’t because you were living a pretty damn good life … you were living like a king … that’s the motivation.”

*Matthew Perry’s mother, Suzanne Morrison, left, and Keith Morrison, arrive at federal court for the sentencing of Iwamasa. (Image: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)*

Perry’s mother, Suzanne Morrison, said in a victim impact statement that Iwamasa had betrayed the family’s trust.

“His number one responsibility was to ensure that Matthew remained what he wanted to be: drug‑free,” she wrote.

“But instead of protecting Matthew, he aided and abetted illegal drug use.”

Prosecutors previously argued that Iwamasa, who had no medical training, became “his enabler and drug supplier”, despite being aware of Perry’s long history of addiction.

He is the fifth and final person to be sentenced in connection with Perry’s death. Among the others, Jasveen Sangha, who prosecutors dubbed the “Ketamine Queen”, received 15 years in prison, while Dr. Salvador Plasencia has been sentenced two and a half years.

Lead Image: AP / Getty