Who Is Kenneth Iwamasa? Why Matthew Perry’s Assistant Was Sentenced to Prison

The investigation into Matthew Perry’s death brought significant attention to Kenneth Iwamasa, the actor’s longtime personal assistant. In the latest development, CNN reports that he has been sentenced to prison for his involvement in the actor’s ketamine overdose.

Prosecutors said Iwamasa played a role in helping obtain ketamine for Perry in the weeks leading up to the actor’s death in October 2023. According to The Independent, Iwamasa repeatedly injected Perry with the drug despite having no medical training. On the day Perry died, prosecutors alleged that the assistant administered a final large dose shortly before leaving the residence.

Matthew Perry’s Assistant Gets 3 Years, 5 Months Jail Time

Kenneth Iwamasa / Credits: Nightline ABC News via YouTube

On Wednesday, Iwamasa was sentenced to 41 months in prison (three years and five months) for his role in Perry’s death. He was the last defendant to be sentenced in the high-profile case, and, according to federal prosecutors, he consciously ignored visible signs of Perry’s worsening condition.

Despite knowing the risks, Iwamasa continued administering ketamine to the actor, even after Perry had already lost consciousness from previous injections. Before handing down the sentence, Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett said (via AP News):

You were privy to his struggle with addiction. Your conduct was reckless, not just on the day of his death but in the days leading up to his death.

Iwamasa was the last person to see Perry alive and the one who found the actor unconscious, face down in his jacuzzi. After discovering the body, he called 911, but paramedics later declared the actor dead.

The investigation revealed that ketamine was the primary cause of death, with drowning listed as a secondary cause.

Kenneth Iwamasa & His Role In Matthew Perry’s Death

Perry hired Iwamasa in 2022 as a live-in assistant at his Los Angeles home, paying him $150,000 annually. Although Perry legally used ketamine to treat depression, prosecutors said Iwamasa helped obtain additional supplies illegally from doctors and dealers and was taught how to inject the drug.

In the actor’s final days, Iwamasa was injecting him six to eight times a day. He allegedly gave Perry a large dose before leaving to run errands. This was the last time the FRIENDS star was seen alive.

Following the actor’s death and the investigation that followed, Iwamasa initially lied to police and omitted ketamine from the list of medications Perry was using. He also failed to mention anything about the injections. It was only after authorities served a search warrant that the assistant came clean.

Iwamasa’s sentence also includes a $10,000 fine and two years of supervised release. He is scheduled to report to prison on July 17.

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