{"id":3136,"date":"2026-05-22T14:48:49","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T14:48:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/matthew-perrys-assistant-claims-he-couldnt-say-no-to-late-actor-begs-for-lighter-sentence\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T14:48:49","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T14:48:49","slug":"matthew-perrys-assistant-claims-he-couldnt-say-no-to-late-actor-begs-for-lighter-sentence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/matthew-perrys-assistant-claims-he-couldnt-say-no-to-late-actor-begs-for-lighter-sentence\/","title":{"rendered":"Matthew Perry&#8217;s assistant claims he couldn&#8217;t say &#8216;no&#8217; to late actor, begs for lighter sentence"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/05\/matthew-perry.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Matthew Perry\u2019s former assistant\u00a0Kenneth Iwamasa insisted he could not \u201csimply say no\u201d to the late actor when it came to his drug addiction.<\/p>\n<p>Iwamasa made the claim to a judge as he\u00a0appealed for leniency at his upcoming sentencing hearing, scheduled on May 27, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tmz.com\/2026\/05\/21\/matthew-perrys-assistant-request-lighter-sentence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">per TMZ<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In new court docs obtained by the outlet on Friday, Iwamasa disagreed with prosecutors\u2019 claim he could have told Perry \u201cno\u201d when he asked for the ketamine that ultimately\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2023\/10\/28\/entertainment\/matthew-perry-dead-at-54-from-apparent-drowning-report\/\">killed\u00a0him in October 2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Matthew Perry\u2019s former assistant Kenneth Iwamasa (pictured left in February 2023) claimed he couldn\u2019t \u201csimply say no\u201d to the late actor when it came to his drug addiction. <span class=\"credit\">BACKGRID<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Iwamasa made the assertion to a judge he\u00a0appealed for leniency at his upcoming sentencing hearing, scheduled on May 27. <span class=\"credit\">@kenny-iwamasa<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>In the docs, Iwamasa acknowledged that this dynamic \u201chad tragic consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He claimed that as an employee of the \u201cFriends\u201d alum, he \u201cacted at all relevant times at [Perry\u2019s] direction rather than pursuant to his own discretion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His attorney also claimed that\u00a0Iwamasa\u2019s employment relationship with Perry may have \u201cenabled him to more readily participate in the conspiracy to distribute drugs to the victim than a man on the street&#8217;\u201d but added that \u201ca number of proverbial men on the street did in fact participate in the same conspiracy.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>While working for the \u201cFriends\u201d alum (seen above in November 2022), Iwamasa said he \u201cacted at all relevant times at [Perry\u2019s] direction rather than pursuant to his own discretion.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images for GQ<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>But prosecutors argue he could have told Perry (pictured at the 2012 Emmys) \u201cno\u201d when he asked for the ketamine that ultimately killed him in October 2023. <span class=\"credit\">JORDAN STRAUSS\/INVISION\/AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He further argued that the \u201crhetoric\u201d that\u00a0Iwamasa could have said no ignores \u201chis particular vulnerability to the relationship dynamic which he fell into with the victim.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Iwamasa\u2019s plea comes days after the late actor\u2019s mother, Suzanne Perry,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/05\/20\/celebrity-news\/matthew-perrys-mom-blasts-late-actors-assistant-for-funeral-behavior\/\">slammed his behavior at her son\u2019s funeral<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, the 82-year-old wrote and read an emotional victim impact statement at Iwamasa\u2019s sentencing for helping supply the lethal dose of ketamine.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Iwamasa\u2019s lawyer argued that \u201crhetoric\u201d that his client could have just told Perry (seen above in April 2023) no, disregards \u201cparticular vulnerability\u201d when it came to their working relationship. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Iwamasa\u2019s plea comes days after the late actor\u2019s mother, Suzanne Perry (pictured here), slammed his behavior at her son\u2019s funeral. <span class=\"credit\">AP Photo\/Damian Dovarganes<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Suzanne alleged that after Iwamasa \u201ckilled\u201d her son, he \u201ckept a sharp eye on\u201d her.<\/p>\n<p>She insisted that her and her family \u201ctrusted a man without a conscience\u201d \u2014 and Matthew \u201cpaid the price.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>According to Suzanne, Iwamasa \u201caided and abetted\u201d her son\u2019s addiction instead of protecting him. <span class=\"credit\">\u00a9NBC\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>\u201cWe trusted Kenny. Kenny\u2019s most important job \u2013 by far \u2013 was to be my son\u2019s companion and guardian in his fight against addiction,\u201d she emotionally said. <span class=\"credit\">Brian Ach\/Invision\/AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cHe had known Kenny, and so had we, for 25 years,\u201d she explained. \u201cMathew trusted Kenny. We trusted Kenny. Kenny\u2019s most important job \u2013 by far \u2013 was to be my son\u2019s companion and guardian in his fight against addiction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She claimed that instead of protecting Matthew, Iwamasa \u201caided and abetted\u201d his addiction.<\/p>\n<p>Matthew \u2014 who openly struggled with drug addiction for decades \u2014 was\u00a0found dead\u00a0in his jacuzzi on Oct. 28, 2023, at age 54.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/05\/20\/celebrity-news\/matthew-perrys-mom-blasts-late-actors-assistant-for-funeral-behavior\/#\"\/>A coroner later announced that the \u201cFools Rush In\u201d actor\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2023\/12\/15\/celebrity-news\/matthew-perrys-official-cause-of-death-revealed\/\">died from \u201cacute effects of ketamine.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The \u201c17 Again\u201d actor (pictured with Lisa Kudrow in 2005) was\u00a0found dead\u00a0in his jacuzzi on Oct. 28, 2023, at age 54. <span class=\"credit\">WireImage for Fusion PR _LA<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>A coroner later announced he died from \u201cacute effects of ketamine.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">matthewperry4\/Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Matthew\u2019s death certificate also listed drowning, coronary artery disease and buprenorphine effects as other contributing factors.<\/p>\n<p>In 2024, federal prosecutors\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2024\/08\/15\/entertainment\/5-people-charged-in-connection-to-matthew-perrys-death-from-ketamine\/\">charged five people<\/a>\u00a0with conspiracy and distribution of ketamine, which caused the \u201c17 Again\u201d star\u2019s passing.<\/p>\n<p>Iwamasa, drug counselor Erik Fleming and Dr. Mark Chavez\u00a0all <a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2024\/10\/02\/celebrity-news\/doctor-who-helped-supply-matthew-perry-ketamine-pleads-guilty-to-drug-charge\/\">pleaded guilty to the charges<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/05\/22\/celebrity-news\/matthew-perrys-assistant-claims-he-couldnt-say-no-to-late-actor-begs-for-lighter-sentence\/\" target=\"_blank\">Source link<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Matthew Perry\u2019s former assistant\u00a0Kenneth Iwamasa insisted he could not \u201csimply say no\u201d to the late<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3137,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/matthew-perry.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3136"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3136\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}