Matthew Perry received a total of 27 ketamine injections in the three days leading up to his tragic death at the age of 54 in October 2023, according to a new documentary. His final moments are explored in Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy, produced by Peacock, where U.S. federal prosecutor Martin Estrada speaks about the case.

According to the coroner’s report, Perry’s death was attributed to “acute ketamine effects,” with the cause being “accidental drowning.” The beloved actor from Friends had previously opened up about his battle with addiction, a subject thoroughly examined in the documentary.

Estrada, who was in charge of the investigation into Perry’s death before stepping down in January, reveals that the actor received 27 doses of ketamine from “people who should have known better.” “Dr. Plasencia was very clear in his messages… He saw this case as an opportunity to make a lot of money in a short amount of time, and according to the evidence, he did,” Estrada states in the documentary.

The investigation led to five arrests, including two doctors, the actor’s personal assistant, and an alleged drug dealer. Some of the accused are still awaiting trial, such as Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Jasveen Sanga, known as the “Ketamine Queen.” Both have pleaded not guilty, and federal judge Sherilyn Pease Garnett set their joint trial for March 4, 2025.

Perry’s former personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, pleaded guilty on August 7, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute ketamine that led to death. “In the past, such cases were considered overdoses, and there was more blame placed on the victim,” Estrada says in the documentary.

“We don’t do that anymore. We hold drug dealers and traffickers responsible, as they exploit people with addiction problems, leading them to death or serious harm. That’s why we bring these cases to justice,” he adds.

The Actor’s Final Day

The documentary also reveals that on the morning of his death, Perry asked his longtime assistant to administer the first ketamine dose of the day around 8:30 a.m., according to Iwamasa’s guilty plea agreement. Four hours later, Iwamasa gave him another injection while the actor watched a movie at his Pacific Palisades home. Just 40 minutes later, Perry asked for a third dose. “Give me a big one,” he allegedly told his assistant, before asking him to prepare the hot tub. After administering the third dose within a six-hour period, Iwamasa left the house to attend to some errands, according to court documents.

When he returned, he found Perry dead, face down in the hot tub.