Kenneth Iwasawa

Matthew Perry paid Kenneth Iwamasa $150,000 a year to be his live-in personal assistant. His role for the “Friends” star would expand to drug messenger, addiction enabler and de facto doctor, according to court filings.

Iwamasa injected Perry with the doses of ketamine that would prove fatal on Oct. 28, 2023, and then left the actor to run errands. He returned to find Perry dead in the Jacuzzi.

Kenneth Iwamasa is the former live-in personal assistant to the late Friends star Matthew Perry. He is currently facing federal prison time after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death in connection with Perry’s October 2023 accidental overdose.Role in Matthew Perry’s DeathIwamasa worked for Perry for over 25 years and was paid $150,000 a year. While his family trusted him to act as Perry’s companion and guardian in his sobriety battle, court documents revealed he instead acted as an enabler and de facto doctor.The Injections: Iwamasa admitted to repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without any medical training. In the final days of Perry’s life, he was giving the actor six to eight injections per day.The Fatal Day: On October 28, 2023, Perry asked Iwamasa to “shoot me up with a big one”. Iwamasa administered the dose, left the house to run errands, and returned to find Perry dead in his jacuzzi.The Drug Ring: Iwamasa conspired with various illicit sources to secure the drugs, text-messaging middleman Erik Fleming using the alias “Alfred” (referencing Batman’s butler) to coordinate pick-ups from North Hollywood dealer Jasveen Sangha.Legal Status & Upcoming SentencingIwamasa was the first of five defendants to reach a plea deal in August 2024, cooperating heavily with federal authorities to secure indictments against the others.Sentencing Date: He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27, 2026.Recommended Term: Federal prosecutors are seeking a prison term of 41 months (3 years and 5 months) plus three years of supervised release.Defense Argument: His defense team has petitioned for leniency, arguing that Iwamasa suffered from a “particular vulnerability” within his employment dynamic and could not simply say “no” to the actor.Backlash from Perry’s FamilyAhead of his sentencing, Perry’s family submitted devastating victim impact statements to the court, highly criticizing Iwamasa’s behavior.Betrayal: Perry’s mother, Suzanne Morrison, stated the family “trusted a man without a conscience”. She noted that Iwamasa could have easily phoned the family for reinforcement if pressured, but chose to enable the addiction instead.The Funeral: The family expressed immense disgust that Iwamasa “insisted” on speaking at Perry’s funeral and presented himself as a grieving savior. His sister, Madeline Morrison, described his presence at the service as a “cruel joke” that tainted their final goodbyes.Aftermath: Court documents allege that Iwamasa initially stayed close to the family after the death, checking in on his mother and monitoring her, until he realized he would not receive a financial payout from Perry’s estate.