New Delhi: Matthew Perry passed away due to the "acute effects of ketamine," the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner announced on Friday.
On October 28, the FRIENDS star was discovered "unresponsive in the pool at his residence" and was later declared deceased at the age of 54. According to the medical examiner, there was an accident that caused the death.
According to Variety, Perry, who became well-known for portraying Chandler Bing in the US sitcom 'FRIENDS', was undergoing ketamine infusion treatment for anxiety and depression prior to his death.
Perry's postmortem examination revealed that his death was caused by the "acute effects of ketamine," with "drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine"—a medication used to treat opioid use disorder—also being considered contributing factors.
The actor established a sober living home for men dealing with comparable problems and had been transparent about his battles with addiction and sobriety.
In his 2022 memoir 'Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing', Perry detailed how a 1997 jet skiing accident led to his adolescent alcoholism and subsequent addiction to painkillers. According to Perry, his addictions had a severe negative impact on his life, placing him in a coma at one point and requiring almost $7 million to help him sober up.
A foundation was established in his honour to assist people battling addiction following his death.
Actress Jennifer Aniston said that her 'FRIENDS' co-star Matthew Perry was “happy” and “healthy” in the days ahead of his untimely death in late October.
“He had quit smoking. He was getting in shape. 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."
“I want people to know he was really healthy, and getting healthy. He was on a pursuit. He worked so hard. He really was dealt a tough one. I miss him dearly. We all do. Boy, he made us laugh really hard,” she shared.