At least one person has been arrested in connection to the death of Friends star, Matthew Perry, according to US and UK media reports.
Perry, best known for playing Chandler Bing in the legendary sitcom, passed away last October at the age of 54. He was found at home in California in a hot tub.
It was later recorded that his cause of death was an accident resulting from the "acute effects of ketamine" (a drug that can also be used by medical professionals to help treat mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression). The LA Police Department said back in May that it was investigating how Perry came to be in possession of the drugs found in his system.
It is widely known that Perry struggled with addiction issues throughout his life, discussing the challenges openly in his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big, Terrible Thing.
Now, TMZ have said phones and computers have been seized in relation to the case, and that while Perry was undergoing supervised ketamine therapy, he hadn't undergone a treatment for a week and a half prior to his death – meaning the drugs that ultimately ended his life were provided from another source. It's said Perry had the same amount of ketamine in his system as that used to provide general anaesthetic.
The arrests allegedly came about after a search warrant revealed unnamed persons discussing how they were going to get the ketamine for Perry and the price he was willing to pay for it.
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TMZ reports that "at least one doctor has been arrested, along with several dealers who helped arrange and deliver ketamine to Perry". Other outlets have said 'at least one person' has been arrested in connection.
When paying tribute to their co-star, the cast of Friends reflected on Perry's great sense of humour and the feeling of family they all shared on set.
Posting on social media, Lisa Kudrow said, "Thank you for making me laugh so hard at something you said, that my muscles ached, and tears poured down my face EVERY DAY. Thank you for your open heart in a six way relationship that required compromise. And a lot of 'talking.'"
While Jennifer Aniston shared, "This was a chosen family that forever changed the course of who we were and what our path was going to be. For Matty, he KNEW he loved to make people laugh. As he said himself, if he didn't hear the 'laugh' he thought he was going to die. His life literally depended on it. And boy did he succeed in doing just that. He made all of us laugh. And laugh hard."
Cosmopolitan UK has reached out to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration for comment on this story.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
