Matthew Perry Once Described Ketamine As 'Giant Exhale', Comment Resurfaces Amid Actor's Death Case

Matthew Perry's Death: The untimely passing of the actor sent a shockwave across the globe. On October 28, the actor was found dead in the bathtub of his LA residence. Amid an ongoing investigation tracing the source of the illicit drugs given to him, a confession from his memoir has resurfaced. In his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, the actor detailed his struggles with Ketamine.  

When Matthew Perry called Ketamine therapy a ‘giant happy shovel’

In his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, the late actor Matthew Perry shared vivid details about his experiences with ketamine therapy, describing it as akin to “being hit in the head with a giant happy shovel.” This revelation comes to light as Perry's death last year has sparked legal scrutiny and charges, according to People magazine. Perry, who passed away on October 28, 2023, from complications related to ketamine and subsequent drowning, wrote about his use of the drug to manage his depression.

As per People magazine, he described ketamine as having "my name written all over it, they might as well have called it 'Matty.'" Perry recounted his therapy sessions, where he was administered an IV drip containing both ketamine and Ativan. He would then spend an hour in a darkened room with music playing through headphones, experiencing intense dissociation. "Ketamine felt like a giant exhale," Perry noted in his memoir. As per People magazine, he elaborated on his sessions, saying, "I would disassociate, see things -- I'd been in therapy for so long that I wasn't even freaked out by this. Oh, there's a horse over there? Fine -- might as well be."
 

Matthew Perry detailed the ‘rough hangover’ that followed his therapy 

Despite initially enjoying the effects, Perry ultimately decided that ketamine was not right for him. He criticized the "rough" hangover and described feeling like "a f---ing pincushion" from the treatment, as per People magazine. Tragically, Perry's last day was marked by repeated requests for ketamine. On October 28, he reportedly asked his assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, for multiple doses of the drug, which ultimately led to his death.

The investigation into Perry's death has resulted in charges against five individuals, including two doctors, Mark Chavez and Salvador Plasencia, who are accused of supplying ketamine to Perry. Prosecutors allege that Chavez used a fraudulent prescription to obtain ketamine, which he sold to Plasencia. Additionally, Jasveen Sangha, known as "The Ketamine Queen," is alleged to have provided Perry with the ketamine dose that contributed to his death. United States Attorney Martin Estrada reportedly criticized the defendants, stating, "In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr Perry than caring for his well-being."

(with inputs from agencies)