The Friends star was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on 28 October 2023.
An autopsy had determined that Perry had died as a combined result of drowning and ketamine use – with his death being initially reported as accidental.
However, in August this year, five people were arrested in connection with his death.
Matthew Perry’s mum has spoken out about a conversation she had with her son prior to his passing in October last year (Vince Bucci/Getty Images)
They include Perry’s live-in assistant, two doctors and a woman referred to as the ‘ketamine queen’ – with one of the doctors later pleading guilty to illegally distributing ketamine to the actor.
US attorney Martin Estrada said that the investigation had unearthed a ‘broad underground criminal network’ of people who took advantage of the actor.
DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said at the time: “Today we announce charges brought against the five individuals who, together, are responsible for the death of Matthew Perry,
“We allege each of the defendants played a key role in his death by falsely prescribing, selling, or injecting the ketamine that caused Matthew Perry’s tragic death.
“Matthew Perry’s journey began with unscrupulous doctors who abused their position of trust because they saw him as a payday, to street dealers who gave him ketamine in unmarked vials.”
Almost one year on from the actor’s death and his mother, Suzanne Morrison, has spoken out and explained that she believes her son had a ‘premonition’.
“He went through a period, interestingly enough, just before he died when he was showing me one of his new houses,” she told Today.
“He came up to me and he said, ‘I love you so much, and I’m so happy to be with you now. And I’m so…’ It was almost as though it was a premonition or something. I didn’t think about it at the time, but I thought, ‘How long has it been since we’ve had a conversation like that?’ It’s been years.
“… There was an inevitability to what was going to happen next to him, and he felt it very strongly.
“But he said, ‘I’m not frightened anymore’. And it worried me.”
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Perry passed away last year (Chris Polk/FilmMagic)
Perry’s stepdad, Keith Morrison and younger sister Caitlin Morrison have also spoken out about the actor, and how they’re planning on continuing his legacy.
Speaking to Hello, Perry’s stepdad Keith admitted that the family were left ‘shattered’ by his death.
“When [Matthew] suddenly died, it was incredibly shocking… anybody who has lost a child will tell you that, even if you are in some way prepared for the possibility, it’s shattering. What we have decided to do is hang on to that determination and try to do something useful,” he said.
“He had this ability to fill up a room with light,” Caitlin added.
“When people were in a room with [Matthew], there was this magnetic energy. Everybody just had a smile on their face and they clung to everything that he said.”
The family are hoping to continue the actor’s work around helping those struggling with addiction by launching The Matthew Perry Foundation of Canada which aims to ‘support individuals in their first year of recovery from substance use disorders following treatment’.
