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Netflix Drops Matthew Perry Ketamine Docuseries After Criminal Case

By Drooid · Oct 28, 2026, 02:08 UTC · How we work

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Summary

Netflix releases the three-part docuseries The One About Matthew Perry on Oct 27 2026.
Director Mary Robertson, known for Quiet on Set, helms the series.
The series features interviews with Perry’s sister Mia Perry Bowick and his therapist.
Based on Perry’s 2022 memoir, the documentary recounts his accidental ketamine overdose death on Oct 28 2023.
Robertson emphasizes addiction as a disease, citing Perry’s confrontation with Peter Hitchens.

Summary

Federal prosecutors charged five individuals in 2024 with conspiracy to distribute ketamine that caused Matthew Perry’s death.
Assistant Kenneth Iwamasa received a three-year-five-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to administering ketamine.
Counselor Erik Fleming and Doctors Mark Chavez and Salvador Plasencia pleaded guilty, facing sentencing.
The criminal case determined Perry’s death resulted from ketamine’s acute effects combined with drowning.

History

In 1999, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration reclassified ketamine as a Schedule III controlled substance, tightening federal oversight. The reclassification, mandated by the Controlled Substances Act amendment, reduced legal shipments by 27 percent, according to a 2001 DEA report. Today, a 2024 case against Kenneth Iwamasa and doctors Mark Chavez and Salvador Plasencia mirrors the 1999 ketamine crackdown that preceded Matthew Perry’s 2023 death. The precedent suggests stricter enforcement and potential legislative revisions could reshape medical ketamine use and celebrity drug-policy scrutiny nationwide.

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Historical Context

In 1999, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration reclassified ketamine as a Schedule III controlled substance, tightening federal oversight. The reclassification, mandated by the Controlled Substances Act amendment, reduced legal shipments by 27 percent, according to a 2001 DEA report. Today, a 2024 case against Kenneth Iwamasa and doctors Mark Chavez and Salvador Plasencia mirrors the 1999 ketamine crackdown that preceded Matthew Perry’s 2023 death. The precedent suggests stricter enforcement and potential legislative revisions could reshape medical ketamine use and celebrity drug-policy scrutiny nationwide.

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