Matthew Perry, beloved for his role in the hit TV show Friends, harbored a profound fear of needles, a detail revealed by his ex-girlfriend and former assistant Kayti Edwards. In an exclusive interview with Mirror US, Edwards, 47, recounted Perry’s adamant stance against injections, painting a stark contrast to recent allegations surrounding his tragic death.
Allegations and rising concerns
Reports surfaced last week claiming that Perry had been injected with drugs at least 21 times in the final week of his life. Edwards, however, disputes these claims, highlighting Perry’s intense fear of needles and his firm belief that “you only die if you inject.”
“This is the weird thing to me… Matthew always, always told me that he would never, ever, use needles or inject anything into his body. He didn’t even want to have tattoos,” Edwards said.
A dire warning ignored
Edwards, who dated Perry in 2006 and later became his assistant in 2011, described her constant worry over his drug use. “I would often see him very high and using lots of different drugs. I would always get so scared, and tell him that he had to stop mixing all this stuff, saying ‘you’re gonna die.’ But he was like…’You only die when you use needles…and I would never, ever, ever do that,'” she continued.
Unanswered questions and legal actions
Despite her concerns, Perry’s fear of needles did not align with the circumstances surrounding his death. Edwards questioned the absence of any needles or ketamine evidence at the scene. “If you have given him a big shot, there would be a needle and evidence of ketamine in the house. Where did it all go?” she queried.
On August 15, five individuals were arrested and named by the Department of Justice in connection with Perry’s death. Among them were Kenneth Iwamasa, Perry’s live-in assistant; Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez, both medical doctors; Erik Flemming, who served as a go-between; and Jasveen Sangha, also known as “The Ketamine Queen.”
The tragic demise of Perry has sent shockwaves through Hollywood, stirring fears among stars about the exposure of their own drug habits. Close friends of Perry have been deeply affected by the arrests, with some stating that it ‘brought back a lot of feelings.’
A friend’s unwavering concern
Edwards maintained her friendship with Perry until his death at age 54 in October 2023. She expressed disbelief upon hearing that Perry might have allowed his assistant, who had no medical training, to administer injections.
“When I heard that he let his assistant do it, I just couldn’t understand, especially as he had no medical training,” she explained.
Official statements and further investigations
Further complicating the case is the lack of drugs or paraphernalia found at the scene. United States Attorney Martin Estrada emphasized the recklessness of those involved: “They knew what they were doing was wrong. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr. Perry but they did it anyway.”
DEA administrator Anne Milgram revealed that Perry had sought the defendants for a higher dosage of ketamine after his clinic refused to increase it. The late actor had been using ketamine infusions to manage his anxiety and depression.
A tragic end
Perry was found dead in his home’s hot tub on October 28, 2023. The Los Angeles medical examiner attributed his death to the “acute effects of ketamine.”
The revelations and ensuing legal actions have left many questions unanswered, casting a somber light on the final days of a beloved actor whose fear of needles underscores the tragic complexity of his life and death.