The man who supplied the ketamine that killed actor Matthew Perry has been sentenced to 41 months in prison, a case that has triggered a government review of drug sentencing laws. Kenneth Iwamasa, the 59-year-old personal assistant to the Friends star, was sentenced in a Los Angeles federal court on Friday after admitting to administering multiple doses of the anaesthetic without medical supervision in the days before Perry’s death in October 2023.
Perry, who was 54, was found dead in the hot tub of his Pacific Palisades home. A coroner’s report later attributed his death to acute effects of ketamine, compounded by coronary artery disease and buprenorphine, a drug used to treat opioid addiction. Iwamasa had injected the actor with ketamine at least three times on the day of his death, ignoring warning signs including erratic behaviour and slurred speech.
Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett said Iwamasa had shown “extraordinary lack of judgment” and “enabled Mr. Perry’s addiction”, but noted his cooperation with authorities. The sentence, which is at the lower end of the guidelines, has drawn criticism from mental health campaigners who argue that low-level enablers are being scapegoated while systemic failures in addiction treatment remain unaddressed.
In the UK, the tragedy has prompted the Labour government to announce a review of ketamine classification and sentencing guidelines. The drug, which is both a legitimate anaesthetic used in hospitals and a recreational substance linked to “chemsex” parties, is currently a Class B substance carrying a maximum 14-year sentence for supply. Critics say this has not deterred middlemen like Iwamasa, who sourced the drug from a network of private doctors and online sellers.
Perry had been open about his struggles with addiction, establishing the Perry Foundation to destigmatise substance abuse. But his death laid bare the scale of illegal prescription drug markets, which feed off vulnerabilities in healthcare systems. For every celebrity casualty, thousands of ordinary Britons die from misused drugs, their families left without closure or compensation.
The review will also consider whether ketamine’s medical use should be restricted further. Doctors warn that curbing legal access could drive patients into black markets. “We need to treat addiction as a health issue, not a criminal one,” said Dr. Sadie Robinson of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. “But the gap between legislation and reality is killing people.”
Iwamasa’s sentence includes three years of supervised release. He apologised to the Perry family, who are expected to pursue civil claims. The case has reignited debates over celebrity privilege in sentencing, but for those on lower incomes, the story resonates differently: when the rich get sick, there is always someone to enable them. For the rest, there is only the cold arithmetic of a treatable disease left untreated.
