Beloved “Friends” actor Matthew Perry died on October 28, 2023, from an accidental ketamine overdose. He was 54. His fans and loved ones have publicly mourned his loss, but the passing and the circumstances surrounding it came back into the spotlight this week when his mom, Suzanne Morrison, shared a victim impact statement with the courts, which was obtained by People. In it, she details her devastation and how her son’s death has affected her.
Matthew Perry’s Mother Suzanne Morrison Shares Her Pain
Morrison’s letter comes at a time when Perry’s former assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, is on trial and has pleaded guilty to “one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death,” People reports. In her statement, Morrison addressed her son’s addiction struggles, which have been well-documented over the years, and she stated that it was Iwamasa’s job to be Perry’s “companion and guardian in his fight against addiction,” People reports.
Morrison said that Iwamasa “kept a sharp eye” on her after Perry’s sudden passing. “He sent me songs, he drew a little map to help me find my way around the cemetery. If he saw a rainbow – one of Matthew’s favorite things – he would call me,” Morrison wrote. Iwamasa even spoke at Perry’s funeral. She continued, “We trusted a man without a conscience, and my son paid the price.”
Morrison spoke about her feelings when Perry died and called him her “heart and my soul.” She also addressed the agony and helplessness she feels as a mother who has lost a child. “Ask any mother whose child has been torn away so mercilessly,” she wrote. “Nothing takes this pain away, nor will it, I am sure, for as long as [I] live.”
Matthew Perry’s Passing & Circumstances Surrounding It
The world has mourned Perry’s death, which happened at his home in Pacific Palisades. Authorities were called to his residence at 4:07 p.m. on the day of his death. “An adult male patient was deceased prior to first response arrival,” a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson told People at the time. “The patient was found by a bystander who had repositioned the victim where the head was out of water … Firefighters pulled the victim out of the jacuzzi and did a quick medical assessment to find he was deceased.”
Perry’s home was sold in 2024 for $8.55 million to producer and real estate developer Anita Verma-Lallian. She made an Instagram post on October 31, 2024, about purchasing the home and her outlook on this, after Perry had died there. “We chose to honor the positive aspects of the previous owner’s life, his immense talent, and all the joy he brought to so many people,” she wrote in her caption. “The decision to purchase the home had nothing to do with the previous owner, just our love of the home.”
Verma-Lallian also revealed that they chose to keep elements of the house in their original condition, such as Perry’s iconic Batman logo in the pool, which she said was “definitely staying.”
