Autopsy shows actor Matthew Perry died of 'acute effects of ketamine'

The autopsy report into the death of US actor Mathew Perry concludes that the cause of death is an accident, primarily from the "acute effects of ketamine".

Mathew Perry was found dead in his home on October 28. Authorities said at the time there was no foul play involved. Source: Getty / Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Key Points

• Autopsy results into the death of actor Mathew Perry have been released.
• The 54-year-old was found lifeless in the pool of his LA home on October 28.
• The death has been ruled an accident.

Matthew Perry died from the acute effects of the anaesthetic ketamine, according to the results of an autopsy on the 54-year-old Friends star.

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said in the autopsy report released on Friday that Perry also drowned in "the heated end of his pool", but that it was a secondary factor in his October 28 death, which was deemed an accident.

"The manner of death is accident," the report said.

The report says coronary artery disease and buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid use disorder, also contributed.

Perry was declared dead after being found unresponsive at his home in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles.

Investigators performed the autopsy the following day.

The actor, who played Chandler Bing in the hit US sitcom Friends, had taken drugs in the past but had been "reportedly clean for 19 months", according to the report.

The coroner said he was reported to have been having ketamine infusion therapy to deal with depression and anxiety, and his last treatment was one-and-a-half weeks before his death.

Matthew Perry is shown in a scene from TV series Mr Sunshine, which aired in 2011 and 2012. The coroner's autopsy report found "acute effects" from the sedative ketamine was primary cause of death. Source: Getty / Michael Desmond/Disney General Entertainment Content

Perry had played pickleball earlier in the day, the report says, and his assistant, who lives with him, found him face down in the pool after returning from errands.

The assistant told investigators Perry had not been sick, had not made any health complaints, and had not shown evidence of recent alcohol or drug use.

Perry was open about discussing his struggles with addiction dating to his time on Friends in the 1990s.

"I loved everything about the show but I was struggling with my addictions which only added to my sense of shame," he wrote in his 2022 memoir.

"I had a secret and no one could know."

Following his death, a foundation was set up in his name to help those struggling with addiction.