Matthew Perry's cause of death expected to be explained by 'unknown drug'

16 November 2023 , 15:38

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Matthew's death devastated his Friends co-stars (Image: Getty Images)

Matthew Perry's cause of death is expected to be explained by an “unknown drug”, a former medical examiner has claimed.

The Friends star tragically died at the age of 54 on October 28, after he was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his home in California. His death certificate was released on Tuesday, with the actor’s cause of death listed as “pending investigation” as the medical examiner's office awaits toxicology and lab results.

A former chief medical examiner said that he believes Matthew’s cause of death will have been caused by “some unknown drug”, and the full report should be released within days.

READ MORE: Lisa Kudrow thanks Matthew Perry for 'open heart' and 'compromising' in emotional tribute

The Friends star had been sober since 2021 (Getty Images for GQ)

“They’ve got pretty much 99% of what they’re going to get at this point as far as information goes, and they can release it now, or they can wait for a couple more weeks because they’re looking for some unknown drug,” Dr. Michael Baden told Fox News Digital.

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“They might be doing microscopic slides, but it’s now about almost two weeks, so the toxicology should be finished,” he added, noting that because of Matthew’s fame, the toxicologists may carry out “more extensive tests” than normal.

According to TMZ, it was Matthew’s assistant who found him unresponsive in the hot tub, and she managed to bring his “head above the water and gotten him to the edge” before paramedics arrived.

Matthew was found unresponsive at his home in California on 28 October (Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

His parents Suzanne Perry and John Bennett Perry, and his stepfather Keith Morrison, were pictured at Matthew’s home shortly after the news broke of his death. Former Dateline host Keith was listed on the death certificate as the informant, which means he was the one who identified Matthew to the authorities.

While it was confirmed prescription drugs were found at the funnyman’s home, no foul play has been suspected, and Matthew had been sober for two years after decades of struggling with drink and drug addiction.

The Friends icon, who portrayed beloved character Chandler Bing on the sitcom for 10 years, was buried in the Forest Lawn cemetery in Hollywood Hills last week, and his co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer attended his funeral.

Emma Wilson