Friends star Matthew Perry’s cause of death has been confirmed by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office.
How did Matthew Perry die?
According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office (via Variety), Perry passed away as a result of “the acute effects of ketamine.” The death has been ruled as an accident, and the outlet notes that “drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine” — a drug that is used to treat opioid use disorder — were also contributing factors in his passing.
Perry famously played Chandler Bing on Friends, which ran for 234 episodes over 10 seasons. He also appeared in other television hits such as Beverly Hills, 90210, Ally McBeal, Growing Pains, Scrubs, The West Wing, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Growing Pains, and more. The actor also appeared in several comedy movies, such as The Whole Nine Yards, Fools Rush In, and others. He hadn’t acted since 2017, although he recently appeared on the Friends reunion.
Perry had been open about his issues with substance abuse, primarily with painkillers and alcohol, having been in rehab several times. The actor recently put out a book in which he was open about his struggles and delivered behind-the-scenes stories.