Kenneth Iwamasa, the live-in personal assistant who administered the ketamine doses that killed Friends star Matthew Perry, was sentenced Wednesday to 41 months in federal prison — closing the final chapter of a criminal case that exposed a squalid drug supply network surrounding one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors.
U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett handed down the sentence in Los Angeles federal court and also imposed two years of probation and a $10,000 fine. Iwamasa, 61, had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death.
On October 28, 2023, Perry told Iwamasa to “shoot me up with a big one.” Iwamasa administered at least three injections that day before leaving the Pacific Palisades home to run errands, returning to find the 54-year-old actor dead in his jacuzzi. In the days leading up to Perry’s death, Iwamasa had injected him with ketamine at least six times a day, despite having no medical training.
Before sentencing, Judge Garnett did not spare her words. “You were privy to his struggle with addiction,” she told Iwamasa. “Your conduct was reckless, not just on the day of his death but in the days leading up to his death.” She added there was “no hard evidence” of malicious intent, though she acknowledged many would disagree with that characterisation.
The case drew particular anguish from Perry’s family, who had placed their trust in Iwamasa precisely because of his long friendship with the actor. Perry’s mother, Suzanne Morrison, wrote to the judge that “Kenny’s most important job — by far — was to be my son’s companion and guardian in his fight against addiction.” She ended her statement with a damning verdict: “We trusted a man without a conscience, and my son paid the price.”
Following Perry’s death, Iwamasa allegedly attempted to cover up the incident, instructing another individual to destroy ketamine evidence, shred documents, and delete digital records before eventually making admissions during a phone call with middleman Erik Fleming.
Iwamasa is the fifth and final defendant sentenced in the case. Drug supplier Jasveen Sangha, known as the “Ketamine Queen,” received 15 years after pleading guilty to five federal charges, including providing the ketamine that resulted in Perry’s overdose. Two doctors and treatment centre program director Eric Fleming were sentenced before her.
