The actor’s “incredibly shocking” death “shattering” for his family.
Keith Morrison said Perry “would like to be remembered for doing something to help people suffering from addiction” as the one-year anniversary of the “Friends” actor’s death approaches.
Perry died Oct. 28, 2023, from a ketamine overdose. The TV star struggled with drug addiction throughout his life and created the Matthew Perry Foundation in his later years. The organization’s goal is to raise awareness, reduce stigma and improve treatment options for people struggling with addiction.
“When [Matthew] suddenly died, it was incredibly shocking. … Anybody who has lost a child will tell you that, even if you are in some way prepared for the possibility, it’s shattering,” Morrison told Hello! Canada. “What we have decided to do is hang on to that determination and try to do something useful.”
Perry’s sister, Caitlin, now serves as the Matthew Perry Foundation of Canada’s executive director as the family expands its outreach.
“The work that I’m doing now is very selfish because it kind of feels like I’m sitting right next to Matthew, working with him every day on something that was important to him,” Caitlin told the outlet.
“I have this treasure of getting to keep him very, very close to my life all the time, which is wonderful,” she said.
Perry’s death was caused by “acute effects of ketamine,” according to his autopsy, which was completed Oct. 29. Drowning, coronary artery disease and buprenorphine effects were listed as contributing factors.
The morning of his death, Perry’s assistant administered a shot of ketamine to the actor around 8:30. By 12:45 p.m., Perry had instructed Kenneth Iwamasa to give him another injection while the “Friends” star watched a movie. Roughly 40 minutes later, Perry requested another injection, allegedly telling Iwamasa, “Shoot me up with a big one,” according to the assistant’s plea agreement.
The live-in assistant administered a third injection to Perry while the 54-year-old was near or in a Jacuzzi. Iwamasa then left the home to run errands for Perry. When he returned, the assistant found Perry “face down” in the Jacuzzi, deceased.
