Friendsstar Matthew Perry’s mother, Suzanne Morrison accused his former assistant Kenneth Iwamasa of enabling her son’s drug use and betraying his trust, ahead of Iwamasa’s sentencing later this month.
Perry was found dead in his backyard hot tub on October 28, 2023.
The Department of Justice determined his cause of death as “acute effects of ketamine” and said Iwamasa “repeatedly” injected him with the drug without medical training, including on the day he died.
Iwamasa pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death.
He may face up to 15 years in prison, though prosecutors are recommending 41 months plus supervised release, as per the outlet.
His sentencing is scheduled for May 27.
In a victim impact statement obtained by PEOPLE, Morrison wrote, “His most important job was to be Matthew’s companion and guardian in his fight against addiction. But instead of protecting Matthew, he aided and abetted illegal drug taking… We trusted a man without a conscience, and my son paid the price.”
Morrison described the devastation of losing her son, recalling helicopters circling overhead as she begged for a blanket to cover his body.
“Closure doesn’t exist,” she said. “Ask any mother whose child has been torn away so mercilessly. Nothing takes this pain away.”
Iwamasa is one of five people charged in connection with Perry’s death.
Others, including Jasveen Sangha and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, have already received prison terms for their roles in supplying ketamine.
Despite her grief, Morrison thanked investigators “for their relentless determination to dig out the truth about Kenny,” but said Perry, her “heart and soul”, ultimately “paid the price” for misplaced trust.
2026-05-21 15:12:00
