Matthew Perry: Five people charged in connection with Friends star's overdose death
Five arrests have been made in connection with Friends star Matthew Perry's death
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Five arrests have been made in connection with Matthew Perry's death from an overdose.
The Friends star, 54, was found dead in October 2023 in a hot tub at his California home, with a medical examiner later attributing his death to the acute effects of ketamine.
The sedative is also used a a recreational drug as well as a depression treatment. On Thursday, several individuals were arrested in connection with the death.
A total of five people have been charged, United States Attorney Martin Estrada confirmed a press briefing.
Perry had been candid about his battle with substance abuse and addiction, with the actor setting up a sober living facility for men facing the same problems.
It was announced by police back in May that they'd been working with authorities to investigate the source of ketamine the Chandler Bing star had consumed.
Perry had been using ketamine infusion therapy to treat depression and anxiety, with his last session taking place more than a week before his death, according to a post-mortem report in December.
Five arrests have been made in connection with Friends star Matthew Perry's death
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Following the beloved actor's death, a different foundation was set up in his memory to help people battling addiction.
Perry had released a tell-all memoir just months before his death, in which he included shocking details about his struggle to overcome addiction.
In October of 2022, the actor claimed he had been 18 months sober.
He had been prescribed opiates in 2018 after his colon exploded, his memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing revealed.
Matthew Perry was best known for his role as Chandler Bing on Friends
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This prompted him to turn to street dealers to supply him with potentially fatal fentanyl-laced OxyContin.
He wrote: "The street pills were something like $75 per pill, so I was giving the guy $3,000 at a time, many times a week."
Perry appeared on the BBC in 2013 to debate addiction with Mail on Sunday columnist Peter Hitchens. During the heated discussion, Perry argued: "I am a drug addict.
"I am a person that, if I have a drink, I can't stop. I am in control of the first drink so I do all the things to protect myself from having the first drink.
"But once I have that drink, the allegy of the body kicks in. This is all documented alcoholism proof. Then I can't stop that."
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Matthew Perry was found dead in his California home in October
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Earlier this year, Emmy Award viewers were left balling their eyes out during the award show's In Memoriam segment.
Among the awards being dished, Hollywood's A-listers took a moment to remember those who'd died over the past 12 months during a heartbreaking segment as Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers took to the stage to pay their respects.
The duo paid tribute to TV pioneer Norman Lear before Charlie Puth and The War and Treaty took to the stage to perform while the rest of the In Memoriam played out.
The trio performed a rendition of I'll See You Again but towards the end of the song, they broke into a more soulful take of the Friends theme tune I'll Be There For You as a tribute to Matthew Perry.
The gesture left viewers at home and fans of Perry's emotional, with many applauding the touch during the segment.
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