Matthew Perry's stepfather Keith Morrison reacts to arrests in death case

Matthew Perry's stepfather, Keith Morrisonbroke his silence after five people were charged with Friends Death of a graduate.

“We were and continue to be heartbroken over Matthew’s death,” Morrison and his family said in a statement to NBC News on Thursday, August 15. “But it helped to know that law enforcement was taking his case very seriously.”

Morrison, 77, and Perry's relatives hope that “justice will take its course” after charges were filed Thursday against the actor's former personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, two doctors and two other people.

Kenneth Iwamasa, Jasveen Sangha And Salvador Plasencia were charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine, distribution of ketamine resulting in death, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and altering and falsifying records in connection with a federal investigation.

Related: Matthew Perry's Family Guide

The late Matthew Perry leaves behind his large family following the actor's sudden death at the age of 54. “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother,” they said in a statement on Sunday, October 29. “Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and […]

Iwamasa, Mark Chavez And Eric Fleming were separately charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine, according to the New York Times. All three pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Fleming also pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death.

Perry died in October 2023 at the age of 54 from the “acute effects of ketamine.” We weekly confirmed at the time that people had responded to a 911 call that someone in a Los Angeles home had suffered a cardiac arrest and found the actor unconscious in a hot tub.

Two months after his death, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office toxicology report listed drowning, coronary heart disease and the effects of buprenorphine, a drug used to treat addiction, as contributing factors.

Perry's death was ruled an accident and the initial investigation was closed in January, but later reopened.

Perry has previously spoken openly about his years-long battle with addiction. After a jet ski accident, he developed a Vicodin addiction, which led him to abuse alcohol. Perry was hospitalized with pancreatitis in 2000 and made several attempts to get sober – twice entering treatment.

Morrison, who married the late actor's mother, Suzanne, reflected on Perry's death earlier this year.

“As other people have told me hundreds of times, it doesn't go away. It's with you every day. It's with you all the time, and there's a new aspect of it that's attacking your brain,” he said Hoda Kotb on the podcast “Making Space” in March. “It’s not easy, especially for his mother.”

When asked if he was surprised by the loss, Morrison replied: “It was news you never want to hear, but you think it might one day. I guess the answer to that is yes and no.”

According to Morrison, Perry seemed to have “overcome” his battle with drug addiction at the time of his death. “But you can never beat him, and he knew that,” Morrison added at the time.