The cause of death for “Friends” star Matthew Perry has been revealed.
On Friday, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner‘s office revealed in an autopsy report, obtained by USA Today, that Perry died from “the acute effects of ketamine” with contributing factors such as coronary artery disease, drowning, and the effects of the opioid-like drug buprenorphine, which is used to treat chronic pain.
According to the report, his manner of death was ruled an accident with no signs of “fatal trauma and no foul play suspected.”
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, a close friend of the late actor, who chose to remain anonymous, claimed Perry was dishonest about his sobriety.
“He lied to everyone about being clean. He never was. It is very sad,” the source alleged.
The source continued, “You know, the biggest lie he told was probably to himself.”
The source also claimed Perry “could be quite a manipulative person when it came to his struggles with using.”
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“But it was such a struggle, such a battle, and he battled every day to the end,” his friend added.
On Oct. 28, Perry was found dead in his hot tub at his Los Angeles home following an apparent drowning. He was 54 years old, TMZ reported. He was discovered face-down in the “heated end” of his jacuzzi, per USA Today.
“An adult male patient was deceased prior to first response arrival. The patient was found by a bystander who had repositioned the victim where the head was out of water” while in the freestanding jacuzzi, an LAFD spokesperson previously revealed to People.
The spokesperson added, “Firefighters pulled the victim out of the jacuzzi and did a quick medical assessment to find he was deceased.”
Following the news of his tragic death, Perry’s family issued a statement.
“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother. Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend. You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love,” they said, per People.