EXCLUSIVE: Matthew Perry's Final Hours Revisited Two Years After 'Friends' Star's Accidental Ketamine Overdose Death... As Actor Begged 'Shoot Me Up!'
Matthew Perry died at age 54 on October 28, 2023.
Oct. 28 2025, Published 4:20 p.m. ET
Beloved actor Matthew Perry died at age 54 two years ago on October 28. His cause of death was determined to be an "acute effects of ketamine" with drowning and coronary artery disease listed as contributing factors.
RadarOnline.com has retraced the Friends star's final moments before he was discovered unresponsive in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home.
Perry's Final Hours Revealed
Perry's live-in assistant 'repeatedly' injected him with ketamine in the hours before his death.
Perry, who had long struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, had been sober for 19 months at the time of his death. He was receiving ketamine infusion therapy, which can be used to address mental health and chronic pain issues.
After enjoying a pickleball session on October 28, 2023, Perry instructed his live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who has since been in charge in connection with his death, "repeatedly" injected the TV star with ketamine despite not having a medical license, according to the Justice Department.
Iwamasa told authorities he was first instructed by Perry to administer a dose of ketamine at 8:30 A.M.
Perry's assistant claimed the actor told him, 'Shoot me up with a big one' before his final dose.
Perry's assistant claimed he was asked to administer a second dose of ketamine around 4 hours later at 12:45 P.M. while the actor watched a movie. A third dose was given 40 minutes later, after Perry allegedly told the assistant to "shoot me up with a big one."
Iwamasa alleged Perry asked him to set up the hot tub before he left the home to run errands. When Iwamasa returned hours later, he discovered Perry unresponsive and called 911.
Emergency services arrived at the Hollywood star's home at 4:07 P.M., but sadly, nothing could be done to resuscitate Perry.
Perry shared a photo of himself relaxing in his hot tub five days before his death.
His death shocked fans and loved ones alike.
A source later noted Perry "was incredibly happy" with life at the time of his death and called his home, which he had recently moved into, "heaven."
Five days before his death, Perry showed off his slice of "heaven" on Instagram with a photo of himself enjoying a nighttime soak in his hot tub.
The Batman-obsessed star captioned the post: "Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I'm Mattman."
In his final years, Perry opened up about his addiction battles and expressed a desire to help others struggling with substance and alcohol abuse.
He detailed his missteps and regrets in his bombshell 2022 memoir, Friends, Loves, and the Big Terrible Thing.
The Matthew Perry Foundation has since been established to honor his mission of helping others overcome addiction.
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Death Investigation
The Ketamine Queen' has pleaded guilty in connection to Perry's death.
An investigation into Perry's death uncovered a twisted Hollywood drug ring.
Five individuals, including his personal assistant, have been charged in connection with Perry's death, including the so-called "ketamine queen" Jasveen Sangha, Dr. Salvador Plascencia, Dr. Mark Chavez, and Erik Fleming.
Prosecutors claimed the investigation found the defendants "were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being."
All defendants have pleaded guilty to their charges.
