Matthew Perry‘s friends are reeling after several doctors and those in his inner circle were arrested in connection to his fatal drug overdose.
Last week, two doctors, a woman known as the “Ketamine Queen,” an alleged drug distributor, and the actor’s live-in personal assistant were arrested for supplying him with illegal ketamine that ultimately lead to his death in October of 2023. And ever since, the fallout has been swift and shocking.
As Perezcious readers know, the Friends star tragically died at his home in Los Angeles. He was found unconscious in his jacuzzi, where he drowned following the “acute effects of ketamine,” the medical examiner determined. Just so heartbreaking. And even worse after we’ve continued to hear more and more about how all those closest to him kept feeding into his addiction despite some very obvious and concerning warning signs.
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Speaking to People on Monday night, a source told the outlet that “the arrests have brought back a lot of feelings” for the actor’s close friends. The insider elaborated:
“Matthew did have true friends that loved and cared about him. They would have all tried to help him if he’d reached out.”
Oof. The source continued:
“It makes them sad that he was surrounded by enablers.”
Addiction is such a challenge — and it is certainly not easy to be the one to confront a loved one amid their struggles, but it’s the right thing to do. It’s also something Matthew has admitted being grateful for in the past, such as when Jennifer Aniston called him out on his drinking problem.
You would have hoped that those closest to the Fools Rush In alum would’ve done more to protect him in his final days. Most especially his personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa who, according to court docs obtained by Us Weekly, found the television star “unconscious at his residence on at least two occasions” due to the usage of “significant quantities of ketamine” just days before he would die of the drug. The red flags were right there! And yet nobody did anything. Awful.
It’s no wonder Matthew’s “true friends” are now going through it. He was so deeply loved by so many people who witnessed his ups and downs with addiction for years and would’ve done anything to help him get better. It’s natural for them to wonder “what if” at this point. But sadly, it’s too late.
This continues to be such a devastating situation, but we hope that at least justice will be served. Thoughts? Share them in the comments (below).
[Image via The Late Show/YouTube]