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Matthew Perry's live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa sentenced to three years and five months in federal prison for fatal ketamine injections
Kenneth Iwamasa, the longtime live-in assistant to late Friends actor Matthew Perry, was sentenced to three years and five months in federal prison for his role in Perry's fatal ketamine overdose. The defense argued Iwamasa acted at Perry's direction, while Perry's family stated he could have called for help at any time.
Kenneth Iwamasa, the longtime live-in assistant to late Friends star Matthew Perry, was sentenced on Tuesday in downtown Los Angeles to three years and five months in federal prison for his role in the actor's fatal ketamine overdose. The sentencing marks a significant moment in the case that has drawn intense public scrutiny since Perry was found dead in October 2023 in the hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home.
Iwamasa's defense attorney argued that his client acted at all times at the direction of Matthew Perry, obtaining and administering ketamine solely because his employer instructed him to do so. The attorney emphasized the significant power dynamic between the two men, stating that Iwamasa, as a salaried employee with no financial interest in the outcome, simply lacked the strength to push back and say no to his boss. The defense characterized Iwamasa as being on the low end of the totem pole among the defendants in the case.
However, the judge declined to impose an enhancement sought by the prosecution, noting the mitigating circumstances in the case. The defense team expressed disappointment that the sentence did not fully reflect what they described as substantial mitigating factors, arguing that the power dynamic was disproportionate and that one person held all the power while the other had none.
Perry's family was present at the sentencing and delivered emotional statements. Keith Morrison, Perry's stepfather, spoke directly to Iwamasa inside the courtroom, emphasizing that Iwamasa had been given clear instructions when he began working directly with Perry: if Matthew gets into any trouble with drugs at all, call his business manager, publicist, agent, mother, stepmother, or father. Morrison stated that Iwamasa had all these numbers on speed dial and that his job and income would have been safe had he made that call.
The sentencing of Iwamasa is part of a broader legal reckoning over Perry's death that has resulted in charges against multiple individuals involved in supplying the actor with ketamine. Erik Fleming, a producer who helped broker ketamine deals, was previously sentenced in the case. Perry's death at 54 shocked the entertainment world and sparked a wider conversation about celebrity drug abuse, the enabling behavior of those in their inner circles, and the accountability of individuals who facilitate substance access for vulnerable people.