Matthew Perry died of an overdose of the anesthetic ketamine, according to the 54-year-old “Friends” actor’s autopsy results released Friday.
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner’s autopsy report said Perry drowned “at the hot end of her pool,” but that was a secondary cause of his Oct. 28 death, which was ruled an accident.
Coronary artery disease and buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid use disorder, also contributed, reports said.
Perry was pronounced dead unresponsive at her home in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. Investigators performed an autopsy the next day.
The actor had taken drugs in the past but had reportedly been “clean for 19 months,” according to reports. The coroner said he was reportedly receiving ketamine infusion therapy to combat depression and anxiety, and his last treatment was 1 1/2 weeks before death.
Perry had played pickleball earlier in the day, reports said, and his assistant, who lives with him, found him face down in the pool after returning from work.
The aide told investigators that Perry was not ill, had no health complaints and showed no evidence of recent alcohol or drug use.
Perry was open about discussing her struggles with addiction during her time on “Friends” in the 1990s.
“I loved everything about the show but I was struggling with my addiction which only increased my sense of shame,” he wrote in his 2022 memoir. “I had a secret and no one knew.”
