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According to court documents, actor spent $55,000 on ketamine addiction

Court documents shed light on the death of “Friends” actor Matthew Perry, including his final days.

The documents detail the final chapter of the popular actor's much-publicized battle with addiction, including a relapse in 2023 that led to his death from “the acute effects of ketamine” in October last year.

Earlier this week, California prosecutors announced during a press conference on Thursday that five people had been charged in connection with Perry's death for “distributing ketamine to Perry during the final weeks of his life.”

Among the five defendants was Perry's personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, who called himself “Batman's butler,” according to court documents. Iwamasa, 59, pleaded guilty on August 7 to one count of “conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death and great bodily harm” and faces up to 15 years in prison.

Matthew Perry, pictured here in January 2017, was found dead in his Los Angeles home on October 28 last year. Investigators say his live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, was involved in a conspiracy to inject and obtain the anesthetic ketamine without a media license.

Investigators allege that Iwamasa and others purchased at least $55,000 worth of ketamine on Perry's behalf to inject into the actor without proper medical approval. Ketamine is an anesthetic and party drug with psychedelic ingredients.

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At the time of his death, Perry was receiving ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety. The drug has hallucinogenic effects that alter the perception of sight and hearing, causing users to feel as though they are not in pain and are no longer in control of their surroundings. An FDA-approved anesthetic, ketamine has been considered a fast-acting antidepressant for decades.