Matthew Perry died from the “acute effects of ketamine,” the Los Angeles medical examiner announced Friday.
According to the autopsy report obtained by Rolling Stone, the “high levels of ketamine” found in Perry’s blood at the time of his death likely resulted in the Friends actor lapsing “into unconsciousness,” which in turn caused him to drown. Coronary artery disease and buprenorphine effects were also cited as contributing conditions in Perry’s death at the age of 54.
The autopsy report also noted that Perry had a “history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/emphysema,” as well as diabetes. While he also had a history of “drug use in past,” he was “reportedly clean for 19 months.” However, a week and a half before his death, Perry underwent ketamine infusion therapy.
Based on the ketamine levels in his blood at the time of death, “the main lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression.” His COPD was likely also exacerbated by ketamine’s “myocardial effects on the heart.” As for the buprenorphine — an opioid-like drug used in the treatment of opioid addiction — found in Perry’s system, the amount “was not at toxic level.”
Perry was open about his addiction to alcohol and drugs, including painkillers. He served several stints in rehab, including while he was a cast member on Friends; Perry later said he was taking up to 55 Vicodin a day during the filming of the series’ third season. In his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, the actor candidly addressed his struggles, opening with the line: “Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.”
Following the news of his death, Simpsons star Hank Azaria spoke about his long friendship with Matthew Perry and credited the actor with helping him get sober. “It’s heartbreaking for those of us who loved him and knew him really well, personally,” said Azaria. “We missed him, we just missed him. It’s one of the terrible things about this disease, is it just takes away the person you love.”
In a recent interview, Friends co-star Jennifer Aniston shared that she had been talking with Perry over text the day he died. “As he said he’d love to be remembered. He was happy. He was healthy. He had quit smoking. He was getting in shape,” Aniston said. “He was happy — that’s all I know. I was literally texting with him that morning, funny Matty. He was not in pain. He wasn’t struggling. He was happy.”