Investigators Give Final Update on Actor Matthew Perry’s Death
Officials overseeing the investigation into the death of actor Matthew Perry have shared a final update in the case, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The 54-year-old actor, best known for portraying the satire-proficient Chandler Bing in the hit NBC sitcom Friends, was found dead in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home near Los Angeles on October 28. Results from initial toxicology reports indicated that the actor’s death was not related to an overdose of methamphetamine or fentanyl.
The reports offered the only certainty about Perry’s death in the initial days and weeks following the tragic news of his passing.
Rather than lending more clarity about the circumstances surrounding the actor’s death, initial autopsy results were at first inconclusive, serving to create even more questions about what had happened to the beloved star.
In December, after several weeks had elapsed, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office released an autopsy report that revealed that Perry’s death was caused from the “acute effects of ketamine.” His death was ruled accidental.
That’s despite the Food & Drug Administration’s warning just weeks before Perry’s death about the dangers associated with ketamine. Other contributing factors to Perry’s death were coronary artery disease, the effects of buprenorphine, a drug used to treat opioid use disorder, and drowning.
This week, the Los Angeles Police Department issued an update, confirming that the medical examiner’s case concerning the death investigation of Matthew Perry is now complete, and as such, the case is listed as closed. The update included additional information about Perry’s death, stating that his passing stemmed also from “cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression,” not to be confused with depression of a psychiatric nature.
In addition to his famous role as Chandler Bing in Friends, Perry was also known for his roles in other sitcoms, including The West Wing, Ally McBeal, and as fictional executive producer Matt Albie in the comedy-drama TV series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip by Aaron Sorkin. Perry also played the role of manager Ben Donovan in the ABC series Mr. Sunshine.
Perry’s film credits include Fools Rush In (1997), Almost Heroes (1998), The Whole Nine Yards (2000), Disney’s The Kid (2000), The Ron Clark Story (2006), and 17 Again (2009).
Throughout his life in Hollywood, Perry was transparent about his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, saying at one point that he had spent approximately $9 million in his attempts to find sobriety. He detailed his struggles in a memoir published in 2022, titled Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing.
We extend our deepest sympathy to Perry’s friends, family, and co-stars during this difficult time.
