Assistant Charged in Matthew Perry’s Death Was the Person Who Found Him Dead
Five individuals have been charged in Matthew Perry’s 2023 accidental death. The Friends star died from the acute effect of Ketamine after battling addiction for decades. He was 54. Kenneth Iwamasa, a live-in assistant, is one of the individuals charged in connection to Perry’s death. He was also the person to find Perry’s body at the home and alert the authorities.
How did Matthew Perry die
Matthew Perry died in his hot tub on Oct. 28, 2023. At the time, it appeared that the Friends star had drowned in the expansive hot tub after spending time out with pals. Weeks later, a toxicology report indicated that Perry had high levels of Ketamine in his system at the time of his death. The amount of Ketamine in his system far exceeded what is used in therapeutic settings.
According to BBC, Kenneth Iwamasa was the assistant who found Perry unresponsive in the hot tub on Oct. 28. At the time, reports stated that an assistant returned home to Perry’s residence after running errands to find the scene. Initial reports suggest the then-unnamed assistant left the house earlier in the day but had seen Perry before he departed. It was reported that the Iwamasas claimed nothing was amiss when he last communicated with Perry.
Kenneth Iwamasa has pled guilty to charges associated with Perry’s death
Iwamasa didn’t just find Perry dead at his home; he directly contributed to the actor’s demise. According to People, Iwamasa has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute Ketamine causing a death in exchange for a reduced sentence. Despite the plea deal, Iwamasa faces up to 15 years behind bars for his role in Perry’s death. He reportedly admitted to obtaining Ketamine and injecting Perry with the drug, including on the day of his death.
It is unclear how long Kenneth Iwamasa worked for Matthew Perry before his death, but his LinkedIn profile previously connected him to several other high-profile faces in Hollywood. The profile, which has since been deleted, identifies Iwamasa as a talent manager and an executive assistant. He counted discretion as one of his unique skills.
Aside from Iwamasa, two doctors, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, Dr. Mark Chavez, Erik Flemming, and Jasveen Sangha, were also charged in Perry’s death. While Flemming has been identified as a “friend” of Perry’s, he also has deep roots in Hollywood. Flemming was a producer and director in the 1990s, although he’s been largely inactive since then.
