Breaking news has hit the entertainment world hard as the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has initiated a criminal investigation following the tragic death of beloved “Friends” star Matthew Perry.
Perry was discovered unresponsive at his Los Angeles residence in October last year and sadly passed away.
It was revealed by the LA County Medical Examiner’s Office in December, two months post Perry’s death, that the cause was the ‘acute effects of ketamine’. The death was classified as accidental. Moreover, the autopsy noted that ‘drowning, coronary artery disease, and the opioid buprenorphine’ also played roles in his death.
Now, the LAPD, along with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), has confirmed that they are jointly investigating the circumstances surrounding how Perry acquired the substances found in his system.
The Guardian reports that Perry had been receiving ketamine infusion therapy to help with anxiety and depression, a treatment he discussed in his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers and The Big Terrible Thing.” However, the infusions had stopped a week and a half before his untimely death, suggesting the ketamine in his system at the time of death was not from those treatments. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the effects of such infusions typically last only three to four hours.
LAPD provided a statement to the media, explaining, “Based on the medical examiner’s findings, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United States Postal Inspection Service, has continued its investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Perry’s death.”
According to The Telegraph, detectives from the robbery-homicide division are spearheading the investigation. The progress of the investigation and any potential arrests have yet to be disclosed, initially reported by TMZ. Requests for further comments have been directed towards the LAPD and DEA by UNILAD.
Perry, famed for his portrayal of Chandler Bing on “Friends,” was candid about his struggles with alcohol and opioid addiction, often sharing his journey in his memoir.
Recently, Courteney Cox, Perry’s “Friends” co-star, shared touching words on CBS’ Sunday Morning, revealing that she feels Perry’s presence often. “I’m so thankful I got to work so closely with him for so many years. He visits me a lot, if we believe in that,” she said. Cox believes that Perry, along with her departed family members, continues to guide and influence her life.
“I talk to my mom, my dad, Matthew. I feel like there are a lot of people that, I think, guide us. I do sense — I sense Matthew’s around for sure,” she added.