Matthew Perry's Mother Says Actor 'Paid the Price' for Trusting Former Assistant

Matthew Perry's mother, Suzanne Morrison, says her son's assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa's "most important job" was to protect him and keep him drug-free. Instead, she says, it was Iwamasa's actions that ultimately led to her son's death.

Perry, who openly spoke about his recovery and addiction to drugs and alcohol, was found dead in his hot tub in October 2023 from "acute effects of ketamine." He was 54. An investigation determined Iwamasa repeatedly injected Perry multiple times a day, doing so without any medical training. Iwamasa faces up to 15 years in prison, but prosecutors are seeking a 41-month prison sentence, plus three years supervised release.

According to a plea agreement Iwamasa made with the DOJ, on the day of his death, Perry allegedly told Iwamasa to "shoot me up with a big one" and prepare his hot tub. The assistant ran some errands and found Perry dead, face down in the water.

Morrison opened up in a victim impact statement shared with People about the immense pain and damage Perry's assistant caused.

"But instead of protecting Matthew, he aided and abetted illegal drug taking, arranged for one source of supply, then another," she wrote. "Shot the drugs into Matthew's body, though he was not in the least qualified.. He did it even though he could see, anyone could have seen, it was so obviously dangerous. And he did it again and again."

After Perry died, Morrison recalled how Iwamasa "kept a sharp eye on me," even "sending songs, he drew a little map to help me find my way around the cemetery. If he saw a rainbow – one of Matthew's favorite things – he would call me," Morrison penned.

Iwamasa also insisted upon speaking at Perry's funeral, trying to paint himself as "the good guy who tried to save Matthew." She added, "He threatened legal action to pry a settlement from workmen's comp. We trusted a man without a conscience, and my son paid the price."

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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 4:10 AM.