Matthew Perry’s Mom Slams Friends Star’s Assistant for Enabling His Addiction: ‘We Trusted A Man Without a Conscience’
Suzanne Morrison, the mother of the late ‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry, has slammed his former assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, for how he behaved at the actor’s funeral, among other accusations.
Morrison wrote and read an emotional victim impact statement at Iwamasa’s sentencing on Wednesday. Iwamasa has pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, resulting in the actor’s death.
She revealed in her victim impact statement, obtained by PEOPLE, that Perry’s family had believed Iwamasa understood her son’s battle with addiction, and had hired him based on his job being to be Perry’s companion and ensure that he remained drug-free.
Morrison said, “But instead of protecting Matthew, he aided and abetted illegal drug taking, arranged for one source of supply, then another. Shot the drugs into Matthew’s body, though he was not in the least qualified… He did it even though he could see, anyone could have seen, it was so obviously dangerous. And he did it again and again.”
She also criticized Iwamasa’s behavior after Perry’s death, claiming that he had insisted on speaking at the funeral and behaved “as if he was somehow the good guy who tried to save Matthew.”
“He sent me songs, he drew a little map to help me find my way around the cemetery. If he saw a rainbow — one of Matthew’s favorite things — he would call me,” she wrote.
Morrison also claimed that Iwamasa threatened legal action to obtain a settlement under workers’ compensation. She said, “We trusted a man without a conscience, and my son paid the price.”
She also claimed that if Perry had been pressuring Iwamasa into helping him get drugs, “that with one phone call to any number of the people in Matthew’s orbit, reinforcements would be on the way, and his job would be safe.” But instead, she claimed he “aided and abetted” his addiction.
Morrison also spoke about the impact that her son’s death had on her, writing, “He was, in spite of all we went through, my heart and soul. And then one night he was just a body, lying all but naked on the cold, damp grass of his backyard.”
She concluded her letter by saying, “Nothing takes this pain away, nor will it, I am sure, for as long as I live.”
Matthew Perry died three years ago due to the acute effects of the drug ketamine. The actor had been receiving ketamine-assisted psychotherapy to treat his anxiety. However, his last session occurred about a week before his death, and the autopsy revealed that the ketamine in his system must have been injected a maximum of 3-4 hours before his death.
In May 2024, the LAPD opened an investigation to discover how Perry obtained that high dose of ketamine. Iwamasa admitted to obtaining ketamine for Perry’s use and administering injections himself.
Amongst those who have been charged with conspiracy and distribution of ketamine in connection with Matthew Perry’s death, three of them, including Iwamasa, drug counselor Erik Fleming, and Dr. Mark Chavez, have agreed to plead guilty to all charges.
According to a plea agreement Iwamasa made with the DOJ, hours before Perry’s death, the assistant administered a final dose of ketamine to Perry and prepared his hot tub. He then left to run errands and came back to find Perry dead. He had reportedly injected Perry multiple times on the day of his death and had no medical training qualifying him to administer those injections. He could face up to 15 years in prison.
In 2025, Perry’s doctor, Salvador Plasencia, and “Ketamine Queen” Jasveen Sangha also pleaded guilty.
Sangha has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for running a drug trafficking business and supplying drugs to Perry. Dr. Chavez will serve eight months of house arrest. He faces 30 months in federal prison. Fleming received two years in prison. Iwamasa’s sentencing is scheduled for May 27, 2026.
