A Hollywood fixer has been sentenced to 41 months behind bars for his role in the ketamine overdose death of actor Matthew Perry. Kenneth Iwamasa, the 59-year-old personal assistant to the ‘Friends’ star, pleaded guilty in August to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. The sentencing, handed down in a Los Angeles federal court on Friday, marks the latest chapter in a grim saga of celebrity, addiction and the corrupting influence of fame.
Iwamasa was the man who injected Perry with the fatal dose of ketamine on October 28, 2023, according to court documents. But he was hardly acting alone. The investigation, led by the DEA and the Los Angeles Police Department, uncovered a sprawling network of enablers: doctors, dealers and a Hollywood insider who fed Perry’s addiction for months leading up to his death.
Sources close to the case confirm that Iwamasa was not just a passive participant. He was the point man, the one who coordinated the supply chain and administered the drugs. Over the two weeks before Perry’s death, Iwamasa injected him with at least 27 shots of ketamine, often in the back of a car or in a hotel room. The final shot, delivered in Perry’s hot tub, proved lethal.
“This was not a case of an assistant simply following orders,” said a former federal prosecutor familiar with the case. “Iwamasa was an active participant in a reckless and dangerous scheme. He knew the risks and chose to ignore them.”
Iwamasa’s attorney, meanwhile, painted a picture of a man trapped by his loyalty to a demanding employer, a Hollywood star whose addiction had spiralled out of control. But the judge was not buying it. “Mr. Iwamasa had choices,” the judge said during sentencing. “He could have walked away. He could have sought help. Instead, he enabled a deadly cycle.”
The case has cast a harsh light on the dark side of celebrity culture, where money and status often insulate the rich and famous from the consequences of their actions. Perry, who had long struggled with addiction, died surrounded by a cadre of handlers and medical professionals whose primary allegiance seemed to be their paychecks, not his wellbeing.
Uncovered documents from the investigation reveal a web of transactions: thousands of dollars paid to doctors for prescriptions, clandestine meetings with dealers, and a careful choreography designed to keep Perry’s habit hidden from his family and the public. Iwamasa was paid $5,000 a month for his services, according to court filings. A small price for a life.
“This tragedy is a textbook example of how addiction can be exploited by those closest to the victim,” said a substance abuse counsellor who works with high-profile clients. “Enablers like Iwamasa are not helpers; they are co-conspirators. They profit from the illness.”
Iwamasa is one of five people charged in connection with Perry’s death. Two doctors have pleaded guilty to illegally prescribing ketamine. A third defendant, known as the “Ketamine Queen”, is awaiting trial. The case has sparked calls for tighter regulation of ketamine therapy, a treatment once hailed as a breakthrough for depression and anxiety but now increasingly seen as a dangerous playground for the wealthy.
For now, Iwamasa will serve his time in a federal prison, a stark reminder that in Hollywood, even the fixers can fall. But for Perry’s family and fans, the 41 months cannot bring back the beloved star who brought laughter to millions. The sentence is a scratch on the surface of a much deeper wound.
“Justice is not a number,” said a source close to the Perry family. “There is no sentence that can undo the pain. But perhaps this will send a message. Enablers: you are not immune.”
