Matthew Perry's alleged last words are absolutely tragic

The following article contains discussions on the topic of drug abuse.

Matthew Perry tragically died after being found unconscious in a hot tub in his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023. The actor and recovery activist died from the “acute effects of ketamine,” according to People, which cited an autopsy report that also listed “drowning” and “coronary artery disease” as causes of death. Perry was just 54 years old. An investigation was subsequently launched into the circumstances of the “Friends” star's untimely death, leading to the arrest of five people, including his personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, who is accused of administering ketamine to Perry three times before his accidental overdose.

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Court documents obtained by NBC News show that the popular actor asked his PA for help with the injection, which was ketamine, at 8:30 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and again at around 1:25 p.m. on the day of Perry's death. His last words to Iwamasa were reportedly “give me a big shot,” referring to a large dose of ketamine that was to be administered to Perry before heating up his hot tub.

After the third injection was administered, Iwamasa went out to run some errands and when he returned, he found his boss lifeless and face down in the water. The PA had been administering ketamine injections to Perry for nearly a month before his death, on the orders of the actor's doctor, Dr. Salvador Plasencia. Plasencia was also one of the five arrested, along with Jasveen Sangha, aka “The Ketamine Queen.”

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U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, who is leading the investigation into Matthew Perry's death, confirmed in a press conference that the actor had unfortunately relapsed just months before his death on October 28, 2023. “As many of you know, Mr. Perry struggled with addiction in the past and sought help for his addiction issues on many occasions,” Estrada said (via AP News). Investigators found that the “Friends” star may have relapsed into substance abuse sometime in the fall of 2023 and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, along with Jasveen Sangha and several others, “exploited Mr. Perry's addiction issues to enrich themselves,” with Estrada adding, “They knew what they were doing.”

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In his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, published in shock just a year before his death, Perry spoke about how he used ketamine infusions to treat his depression while in a Swiss rehab clinic (the anesthetic has been shown to be effective in particularly severe cases, but can pose serious risks if administered incorrectly). The actor described taking the drug as a “giant exhale,” according to Page Six, and recalled, “I was dissociating, seeing things.” However, Perry also often felt like he was dying while taking ketamine. And yet he kept taking it because, as the actor devastatingly admitted, “anything different is good.”

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If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's national helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).