Hollywood Assistant Jailed Over Star's Ketamine Death

The personal aide to actor Matthew Perry received a prison term for his role in supplying the drug that caused the celebrity's fatal overdose in 2023.

Hollywood Assistant Jailed Over Star's Ketamine Death

A court in California handed down a sentence of three years and five months to Kenneth Iwamasa on Wednesday. The 61-year-old had worked as the personal aide to Matthew Perry, the television actor famous for playing Chandler Bing in the sitcom Friends.

Iwamasa admitted guilt in connection with Perry's death from a ketamine overdose in October 2023. Judicial papers indicate that in the days preceding the tragedy, the assistant gave the performer over two dozen injections of the substance. On the very morning Perry died, he received at least three additional doses. Records show the actor had requested what he called a "large" shot from the employee, who resided at Perry's upscale Los Angeles home.

The conviction marks the fifth sentencing in the case. Earlier this month, former film producer Erik Fleming was ordered to serve two years behind bars for his part in procuring the narcotics. Investigators determined that Fleming obtained the ketamine from Jasveen Sangha, a supplier nicknamed the "Ketamine Queen" in certain social circles. The dual American-British national received a 15-year sentence in April for selling the containers that caused Perry's demise.

Additionally, two physicians were found guilty of deliberately taking advantage of the celebrity's dependency. They had initially provided monitored ketamine treatments for depression, but the legal anesthetic was later misused for its stimulating and intoxicating effects.

Perry was discovered lifeless in his jacuzzi at age 54. The incident stunned admirers of the long-running comedy series and generated widespread memorials throughout the entertainment industry. Prior to his passing, the performer had openly discussed his battles with substance abuse.

Source: Le Temps

Source: Le Temps