Matthew Perry’s Assistant Sentenced to 41 Months for Star's Tragic Death

The legal saga surrounding the tragic death of "Friends" star Matthew Perry has reached its final chapter. Kenneth Iwamasa, Perry’s longtime personal assistant, was sentenced on Wednesday to 41 months in federal prison for his role in the actor’s fatal ketamine overdose in October 2023.

Iwamasa, 60, had pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. As Perry’s live-in assistant, he was paid $150,000 a year to be a companion and guardian. Instead, prosecutors and family members say he became a facilitator for the actor's addiction. On the day Perry died, Iwamasa injected him with multiple doses of ketamine before finding him unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home.

During the proceedings, Perry’s family expressed profound betrayal. His mother, Suzanne Morrison, wrote to the judge that the family trusted Iwamasa to help her son fight his addiction. Instead, she said, they trusted a "man without a conscience." Perry’s sisters also spoke out, condemning the assistant for leaving the actor alone in the water after administering the lethal dose.

Defense attorneys argued that Iwamasa was a devoted employee who found himself unable to say no to his employer’s demands. They described a "particular vulnerability" in his relationship with Perry. However, the prosecution emphasized that Iwamasa’s actions had "tragic consequences" and that he was the one who actually administered the drugs that led to the star’s death.

Iwamasa is the last of five defendants to be sentenced in the case. His cooperation with authorities made him a key witness for the prosecution, which resulted in a shorter sentence than he might have otherwise faced. In a statement, Iwamasa said he "will forever regret" his actions that led to the loss of a man he considered a friend.

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