Matthew Perry's Mother Condemns Assistant Before May 27 Sentencing Over 2023 Ketamine Death
Updated
Updated · NBC News · May 21
Matthew Perry's Mother Condemns Assistant Before May 27 Sentencing Over 2023 Ketamine Death
11 articles · Updated · NBC News · May 21
Suzanne Morrison said in a victim impact statement that Kenneth Iwamasa betrayed Matthew Perry’s trust by enabling the addiction that ended in the actor’s 2023 ketamine overdose death at 54.
Iwamasa, 59, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death and admitted he repeatedly injected Perry despite having no medical training, including multiple shots on Oct. 28, 2023.
Prosecutors say he worked with Jasveen Sangha, Erik Fleming and Dr. Salvador Plasencia to obtain and distribute ketamine illegally after Perry developed dependence while receiving ketamine infusion therapy for anxiety and depression.
Morrison wrote that Perry had fought addiction for more than half his life and said Iwamasa later cast himself as someone who tried to save him, even speaking at the funeral and staying close to the family.
Iwamasa is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27, with Morrison telling the court her family had trusted “a man without a conscience” and that her son “paid the price.”
Paid to keep him sober, he supplied the fatal dose. What does this case reveal about addiction and exploitation?
As ketamine poisonings surge, are new regulations enough to prevent another celebrity tragedy from happening?