Matthew Perry paid Kenneth Iwamasa $150 000 a year to be his personal assistant. Court documents show that his role in the Friends starʼs life expanded to include drug courier, addiction mediator and de facto doctor.
The Associated Press writes about this.
On October 28, 2023, Iwamasa administered doses of ketamine to Perry, then left the actor to mind his own business. The injections proved fatal. When the assistant returned, he found Perry dead in a hot tub.
Iwamasa is the first of five people to reach a plea deal in Perryʼs death. He will be the last to be sentenced on May 27. Prosecutors are asking for three years and five months in prison.
Thatʼs more than the 2.5 years in prison for the doctor who sold Iwamasa ketamine and taught him how to inject it, but far less than the 15-year sentence for the drug dealer who sold Iwamasa his final doses.
Iwamasa (60) pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death and became the most important witness in the indictment against his four co-defendants, a move that will almost certainly lead to a reduced sentence.
But the actorʼs family members blame the assistant more than anyone else. Perryʼs mother Suzanne Morrison wrote that her son and family have known the man for decades, and that the family was relieved when Perry, who had struggled with addiction his entire life, hired an assistant in 2022. She writes that Matthew trusted Kenneth, whose most important job was to be the actorʼs companion and guardian in his fight against addiction.
Perryʼs mother also wrote that after her sonʼs death, his assistant kept a close eye on her. He sent songs, drew a small map to help her navigate the cemetery. If he saw a rainbow — one of Matthewʼs favorite things — he called her.
He insisted on performing at Matthewʼs funeral and clung to her and her family as if he were trying to save Matthew. Iwamasa also expected financial compensation, and when it became clear that he would not receive it, he threatened legal action.
Iwamasaʼs lawyers argued that he was an employee following his bossʼs orders, was placed in a particularly vulnerable position because of their relationship, and could not "simply say no".
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