New documentary on Friends star examining Matthew Perry’s final days and death investigation to release soon

Another documentary exploring the tragic passing of Matthew Perry is on the horizon. Streaming platform Peacock has unveiled Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy, a special documentary that will offer fresh insights not only into the Friends star’s unexpected death in October 2023—attributed to acute ketamine toxicity—but also into the ongoing criminal investigation that has resulted in charges against five individuals.

The first trailer for the documentary opens with an excerpt of a 911 operator responding to a call about a drowning, followed by various commentators expressing their disbelief at Perry’s passing at the age of 54. The documentary includes interviews with actor Morgan Fairchild, who portrayed Perry’s on-screen mother in multiple episodes of Friends, and U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, who is overseeing the case. “He really touched people’s lives,” Fairchild remarks in the trailer. Meanwhile Estrada provides an update on the legal proceedings, stating, “The defendants have all been charged. Three of them have pled guilty and will be cooperating. Two remain.”

Perry was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his Los Angeles residence and was later pronounced dead. Initial reports from authorities indicated no signs of foul play. However, as one expert in the documentary notes, the release of the December autopsy report, which confirmed the presence of ketamine in his system, significantly changed the official account of events. “He was doing so well. Everyone thought he was clean and sober. That’s when we knew that there’s way more to this story,” one interviewee explains.

The five individuals charged in connection with Perry’s death include two medical professionals, his assistant, an intermediary, and a suspected drug dealer known as the “Ketamine Queen” of North Hollywood. A doctor and the alleged dealer are scheduled to stand trial on 4 March 2025.

Several documentaries and investigative specials have already delved into Perry’s passing and the subsequent legal developments. In September, Hulu released What Happened to Matthew Perry?, produced by IMPACT and the ABC News programme Nightline. That same month, TMZ premiered Matthew Perry & the Secret Celebrity Drug Ring on the platform. Additionally, the 40-minute feature Matthew Perry: Not Just Friends was made available online shortly after his death.