Friends star Matthew Perry's cause of death confirmed as accident from 'acute effects of ketamine'

Friends star Matthew Perry was found dead in his LA home at the age of 54 on October 28 and the cause of death has now been confirmed by the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner

Friends star Matthew Perry's death has been ruled an accident from the acute effects of ketamine, the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner confirmed.

The actor was found dead at his Pacific Palisades home in Los Angeles on October 28 afternoon at the age of 54. The medical examiner's report continued on Friday: "Contributing factors in Mr. Perry’s death include drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine (used to treat opioid use disorder)."

Matthew's assistant found him underwater in his hot tub and tried to bring him above water before calling the paramedics, who pronounced him dead at the scene. No illicit drugs were found on the scene, which was backed up by the coroner's report.

In the medical report obtained by The Mirror, it revealed Matthew was sober for 19 months after battling addiction for many years. He was on ketamine infusion therapy to help with his addiction.

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READ MORE:Zac Efron pays tribute to 'mentor' Matthew Perry at Hollywood Walk of Fame acceptance

The report read: "At the high levels of ketamine found in his postmortem blood specimens, the main lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression."

The medical examiner added that he probably "lapsed into unconsciousness" and drowned. No blunt force trauma was found and no foul play was suspected.

Preliminary findings released a day after his death had confirmed an autopsy had been completed but said the official cause of death had been "deferred" while they waited for toxicology reports.

In a heartbreaking statement to People magazine at the time of his death, his family said: "We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother," the family says. "Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend."

His death certificate, obtained by The Blast last month, shared the official details of his passing, confirming the authorities noted his time of death at 4:17 p.m. PST.

According to the death certificate, he was buried at Forest Lawn in Los Angeles. His family and friends, including many members of the cast from Friends were in attendance at his funeral.

Co-stars Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow released a joint statement shortly after Matthew's death saying: "We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just castmates. 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."

However, it was a few weeks later when they decided to speak publicly, all sharing their own personal touching tributes to their late friend online.

In her emotional message, his on-screen wife Courteney Cox revealed how he changed an iconic scene involving the pair. Courteney - who played his on-screen wife Monica Geller - said: "I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day. When you work with someone as closely as I did with Matthew, there are thousands of moments I wish I could share. For now here’s one of my favorites.

"To give a little backstory, Chandler and Monica were supposed to have a one night fling in London. But because of the audience’s reaction, it became the beginning of their love story. In this scene, before we started rolling, he whispered a funny line for me to say. He often did things like that. He was funny and he was kind."

More recently, Zac Efron paid tribute to his "mentor" at his Hollywood Walk of Fame acceptance. in his speech, he talked about working with Matthew while filming 17 Again. He called the actor "so kind and generous" and admitted working with Matthew and Burr Steers had a major impact on his life, "propelling and motivating him".

He said: "It really pushed me into the next chapter of my career, and for that, thank you so much, Matthew. Thinking about you a lot today.”

Matthew had previously been open about his history with substance abuse and addiction. He had also set up a sober living facility for men with similar issues, and now a foundation has been set up in his memory to try to help others struggling with the disease.

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