Matthew Perry's mother, Suzanne Perry, has issued a scathing rebuke against her late son's assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. In an emotional victim impact statement read out ahead of Iwamasa's sentencing for his role in supplying the ketamine that ultimately claimed the life of the TV star in October 2023, Suzanne spoke of her profound grief and betrayal.
"He insisted on speaking at Matthew's funeral," the letter, included in court documents obtained by Page Six, reads. "He clung to me and the family as if he was somehow the good guy who tried to save Matthew."
Suzanne further recounted how, after 'killing' her son, Iwamasa maintained a close watch on her. "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 favourite things - he would call me," she wrote.
The heartbroken mother told the court that she and her family had "trusted a man without a conscience," and that Matthew had paid the ultimate price. "He had known Kenny, and so had we, for 25 years," she detailed. "Mathew trusted Kenny. We trusted Kenny. Kenny's most important job, by far, was to be my son's companion and guardian in his fight against addiction."
Suzanne revealed that Iwamasa knew that he could rely on a safety net of support if he felt unduly pressured. "Kenny knew that with one phone call to any number of people in Matthew's orbit, reinforcements would be on the way, and his job would be safe," she said.
But instead of protecting Matthew, "he aided and abetted" his addiction. The devastated mother shared her enduring grief for her son, saying, "He was, in spite of all we went through, my heart and soul. Nothing takes this pain away, nor will it, I am sure, for as long as I live."
Iwamasa, the former live-in assistant of the Friends star, is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on May 27. He faces a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death.
Matthew Perry, who openly battled drug addiction for decades, was found dead in his jacuzzi on October 28, 2023, at the age of 54. His mother's words serve as a poignant reminder of the devastating impact of addiction and the need for vigilance in protecting those we love from its grasp.
