Kenneth Iwamasa, the personal assistant who injected Friends star Matthew Perry with the ketamine that killed him, was sentenced on Wednesday to more than three years in prison, bringing a years-long legal case to a close.
Iwamasa pleaded guilty in 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing Perry’s death. He was sentenced to 41 months in prison, two years of supervised release, a $10,000 fine and an additional mandatory payment of $100, according to the New York Times.
Prosecutors said Kenneth Iwamasa clearly understood the dangers involved. He had known Perry for many years and became his live-in assistant in 2022. According to prosecutors, he knew about Perry’s long struggle with addiction and had even been warned by a doctor about concerns over the actor’s drug use.
Even so, Iwamasa admitted to injecting Perry with at least 27 ketamine shots in the days before his death on October 28, 2023, including at least three injections on the day he died. Prosecutors also said Iwamasa had twice found Perry unconscious at home and had seen him “freeze up” and lose the ability to speak after a large ketamine injection.
Was Kenneth Iwamasa helping Matthew Perry?
Kenneth Iwamasa’s lawyers argued that he could not say no to Matthew Perry and described him as someone who “idolized Mr. Perry.” His lawyer, Alan Eisner, told the court that Iwamasa “was not someone who forced drugs on an unwilling victim,” and even compared him to Alfred Pennyworth, Batman’s butler.
But Perry’s family and the executor of his estate strongly disagreed. Perry’s stepfather, Keith Morrison and estate executor Lisa Ferguson told the court they believed Iwamasa wanted to keep the comfortable lifestyle Perry provided for him, one they said he did not earn or deserve.
They also said Iwamasa appeared to enjoy having full control over Perry’s life and could have contacted Perry’s family at any time to warn them about the actor’s condition.
Perry’s mother, Suzanne Morrison wrote an emotional letter to the court about what she saw as a betrayal of trust.
“Matthew trusted Kenny. We trusted Kenny,” she reportedly wrote.
“Kenny’s most important job by far was to be my son’s companion and guardian in his fight against addiction. But instead of protecting Matthew, he aided and abetted illegal drug taking, arranged for one source of supply, then another.”
According to court documents Iwamasa earned $150,000 a year as Perry’s assistant. His duties also included responsibilities connected to Perry’s medical care.
Also Read: Erik Fleming: 5 things to know about drug counselor sentenced in Matthew Perry’s death case
How did Matthew Perry’s assistant help obtain ketamine?
According to The New York Times, Kenneth Iwamasa helped obtain ketamine for Matthew Perry through dealers and doctors, using coded terms like “Dr Pepper,” “cans” and “bots.”
Prosecutors said he spent tens of thousands of dollars on ketamine in the weeks before Perry’s death. The medical examiner later ruled that Perry died from the “acute effects” of ketamine.
In court, Iwamasa apologized to Perry’s family, saying: “I’m so sorry to all of you,” and “I’ll take that to my grave.”
Iwamasa is the last of five people charged in Perry’s death to be sentenced. Sangha received 15 years in prison, Fleming two years, Plasencia 30 months and Chavez three years of supervised release including eight months of home detention.
