At least one person has been arrested in connection with the investigation into the death of actor Matthew Perry. The 54-year-old star, known for his iconic role on the hit television series Friends, was discovered unresponsive at his Los Angeles residence in October of last year. A post-mortem examination revealed that the direct cause of death was “the acute effects of ketamine,” a controlled substance that Perry had been using in a supervised therapeutic setting.
Authorities in Los Angeles launched an investigation in May to ascertain why Perry had elevated levels of the drug in his system. Reports indicate that multiple individuals have been arrested and are facing federal charges, as confirmed by various media outlets.
Law enforcement officials are scheduled to hold a press conference later this Thursday to provide further details regarding the arrests and the ongoing investigation.
Ketamine, primarily known as a powerful anesthetic, is often used to treat conditions such as depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. Friends of Perry disclosed to investigators that he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy, though the last session had taken place over a week prior to his death. Medical examiners emphasized that the high levels of ketamine found in Perry’s body could not have originated from the infusion therapy due to the drug’s short half-life.
The concentration of ketamine in his system was akin to that administered during general anesthesia, raising questions about how he acquired the substance. The investigation has been particularly focused on the circumstances surrounding the actor’s access to the drug.
In addition to ketamine, drowning was identified as a contributing factor in Perry’s death, which has been ruled an accident. Other contributing factors included coronary artery disease and buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder.
Throughout his career, Perry openly battled addiction to painkillers and alcohol, attending rehabilitation multiple times. He candidly recounted his struggles in his memoir, citing gaps in his memory from three years of filming Friends due to substance use.
Despite past challenges, Perry expressed in his memoir that he had largely maintained sobriety since 2001, aside from a few setbacks.
