The former assistant of Matthew Perry is asking a judge for leniency ahead of sentencing over his role in the actor’s drug-related death.
Kenneth Iwamasa admitted he helped “Friends” star Perry obtain ketamine and injected him with the drug before the actor died in October 2023.
According to court filings obtained by TMZ, Iwamasa argued he struggled to refuse Perry’s requests because he was acting under the direction of his employer rather than independently.
He acknowledged that his actions had devastating consequences but claimed the long-standing relationship he shared with Perry made it difficult to say no.
Perry was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home, with investigators later concluding he died from the acute effects of ketamine and drowning.
The late actor’s mother, Suzanne Morrison, submitted an emotional statement blaming Iwamasa for enabling her son’s addiction despite the family’s trust in him.
She said the family had known the assistant for decades and believed he would help Perry maintain sobriety rather than supply him with drugs.
Authorities have also prosecuted others linked to the case, including doctor Salvador Plasencia, who was accused of supplying ketamine to the actor and teaching Iwamasa how to inject it.
Perry had openly discussed his long struggle with addiction in his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.
