Matthew Perry and Assistant Implicated in His Death Spent Over $55K on 55 Ketamine Vials in 29 Days
Court documents that have been unsealed and filed in the case against Matthew Perry’s live-in assistant Kenny Iwamasa allege that Perry and Iwamasa spent at least $55,000 on 55 vials of ketamine and numerous injections in the 29 days before the actor’s death on October 28, 2023.
The documents, obtained by Us Weekly, detail a series of back-to-back text messages from Iwamasa asking for more ketamine almost every day, with at least one time engaging in illegal drug deals in the early morning hours.
The records also describe how the Friends star and Iwamasa met the now-infamous doctor arrested known as “Dr. P.” (real name Dr. Salvador Plasencia) in a parking lot for ketamine injections in the back of a car, while the doctor and Perry’s assistant exchanged thousands in cash for bottles of the drug that the Food and Drug Administration has approved for use as a general anesthetic. However, doctors sometimes prescribe it for “off-label” uses, such as depression. Some also use ketamine for its hallucinogenic properties which can become dangerous when taken recreationally.
Additionally, according to the docs, Dr. P. went to Perry’s house on multiple occasions to inject him — one time even within hours of Perry already having received a ketamine infusion treatment and the double administration causing a spike to his systolic blood pressure and rendering him unable to speak or move.
Matthew Perry’s Assistant, Doctors Face Charges: A Guide to the Investigation into the Actor’s Death
On a separate occasion, the docs allege that just 9 days after illegally buying 25 vials of ketamine from his source, Iwamasa illegally bought yet another 25 bottles for $6,000. He injected Perry six times that very same day, per the document’s timeline. Over the course of the next 72 hours he injected him at least 18 more times.
On the day of October 28, Perry’s assistant injected him at least three more times, resulting in his death that day. Perry’s final words, reportedly, were “shoot me up with a big one” to Iwamasa.
Matthew Perry’s Death Investigation: A Complete Timeline
Iwamasa, Plasencia, Jasveen Sangha (a.k.a. “the Ketamine Queen”), Dr. Mark Chavez and Perry's acquaintance Erik Fleming have all been charged.
Iwamasa pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death.
Read on for an alleged timeline of events filed July 5 by the Department of Justice and summarized by Us:
September 30
Iwamasa and Perry meet with Dr. P. at Perry’s house, where Dr. P. injects Perry with two shots of ketamine. He leaves behind at least one vial of ketamine and multiple syringes. Iwamasa pays Dr. P. approximately $4,500 for the ketamine.
October 2
Iwamasa requests via a coded text message to buy eight vials of ketamine. “Want to end up with bottles of dr pepper, not just 8 sessions,” the text reads. On or about the same day, he purchases ketamine lozenges from Dr. P. for approximately $2,000.
October 4
Iwamasa sends Dr. P. another coded text message saying that he had successfully injected Perry and needs to buy more vials of ketamine: “I will need to get more cans of dr pepper from you today, I can come to you to make it convenient.” Dr. P responds via text that he is “currently retrieving 4 bottles” from his source.
October 6
Iwamasa asks Dr. P. for more ketamine because he only has “1 left.” In response, Dr. P. travels to Perry’s house, injects Perry with ketamine himself and sells Iwamasa one or more vials of ketamine for a cash payment.
October 7-8
Iwamasa texts Dr. P. seeking more ketamine and asks if he could pay with “something besides cash” because “[i]ts hard to get to the bank on the fly with all that’s going on which happens so fast now.” Dr. P. responds that he has two bottles of ketamine to sell, and to meet him immediately at popular tourist destination Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade to do the deal.
Iwamasa tells Dr. P. that he sent $3,000 by electronic payment, and that “I’m bringing 3 more leaving now.” Dr. P. sells Iwamasa the two vials for $6,000 at 12:30 a.m. on the morning of October 8.
October 10
Iwamasa drives Perry to meet with Dr. P. in a public parking lot in Long Beach, California, where Dr. P. is given a partial payment; he injects Perry with ketamine in the back of the car. He also provides Iwamasa with additional vials of ketamine.
Iwamasa also sends a text message to broker/dealer Erik Fleming, seeking to purchase even more ketamine: “How much do you want per bottle and what is the nice tip you want.” Fleming responds that he can get 10ml vials of ketamine for $300 and requests a $1,000 brokering fee.
October 12
Iwamasa texts Dr. P., stating, “I have your cash sorry for the wait,” and asks to purchase additional ketamine. He then requests Dr. P. come to Perry’s house to administer the injection, despite knowing that Perry had just received a ketamine infusion treatment earlier that day from a medical doctor at a doctor’s office.
Dr. P. arrives and administers a large dose of ketamine which causes an adverse medical reaction, spiking Perry’s systolic blood pressure and causing him to freeze up, so he cannot speak or move, leading Dr. P. to tell Iwamasa something like, “let’s not do that again.”
October 13-14
Fleming delivers a sample vial of ketamine to Perry’s house in exchange for payment. Iwamasa asks him how many bottles he might be able to obtain. Fleming says his drug source can “fill any order.” Iwamasa tells Fleming he will purchase “25 vials $5500” plus an additional $500 for “logistics.”
Fleming delivers the 25 vials to Perry’s house the next day.
October 23-24
Nine days later, Iwamasa sends Fleming a text asking to buy more ketamine: “Can we do same as last time again over next 2 days?” Fleming responds, “You want same amount? Put the 5500 together asap and ill come get it as soon as possible to get it all done tonight.”
He drives to Perry’s house to collect the cash for the deal, then returns the next day with at least 25 vials of ketamine. Iwamasa then administers at least six shots of ketamine to Perry, an injection pattern he continues for the next three days.
October 27
Dr. P. contacts Iwamasa with an offer to sell additional ketamine to Perry. “Hi. I know you mentioned taking a break. I have been stocking up on the meanwhile. I am not sure when you guys plan to resume but in case its when im out of town this weekend I have left supplies with a nurse of mine,” he texted. “I can always let her know the plan. I will be back in town Tuesday.”
October 28
Iwamasa administers at least 3 shots of ketamine to Perry, who died that day.
