Friends star Matthew Perry death ruled accident from ketamine effects

The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner has confirmed that Matthew Perry died accidently due to the effects of ketamine.

In a statement released today (15 December) the examiner confirmed the Friends star died at the age of 54 from the 'acute effects of ketamine'.

The news comes six weeks after Perry was found dead in his hot tub at his home in Los Angeles.

The examiner stated that as well as the effects of ketamine, contributing factors in Perry’s death also included 'drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine (used to treat opioid use disorder)'.

The examiner confirmed that the manner of death was accidental.

The statement went on to recount the circumstances surrounding the discovery of Perry, saying: "On October 28, at approximately 1600 hours, Mr. Perry was found unresponsive in the pool at his residence. After 911 was called, paramedics responded to the scene and death was pronounced.

"DME responded, conducted a scene investigation and then transported Mr. Perry’s body to the DME’s Forensic Science Center for examination.

"On October 29, the deputy medical examiner completed an autopsy on Mr. Perry. Following the completion and receipt of relevant test results, the cause and manner of death were certified."

Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for GQ

Perry's death came after he spoke out previously about his struggles with drug addiction throughout his career, and expressed hopes that he would be remembered for the work he had done to help others living with addiction.

In his memoir, Friends, Lovers and The Big Terrible Thing, he wrote: “The best thing about me, bar none, is that if somebody comes to me and says, ‘I can’t stop drinking, can you help me?’ I can say ‘yes’ and follow up and do it.

“When I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned. I want that to be the first thing that’s mentioned. And I’m gonna live the rest of my life proving that.”

Perry has been remembered fondly by his Friends co-stars, who paid tribute to the actor after 10 years of working together on the hit comedy.

Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matt Le Blanc and Courteney Cox shared a joint statement in the days after Perry's death, saying: "We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.

“In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”

The cast members later went on to share individual tributes to Perry, saying they would 'never forget' him.