Medical Examiner Defers Determination Of Matthew Perry’s Cause Of Death After Autopsy, Orders Toxicology Tests

Actor Matthew Perry, 54, was found dead on Saturday after an apparent drowning.

On Sunday, the medical examiner updated its online record for Perry with his cause of death listed as “deferred.”

The L.A. coroner’s guidelines say, “In cases where the cause of death cannot be determined at the time of autopsy, a deferred certificate will be issued until additional studies have been completed.”

The medical examiner’s office said on Sunday that an autopsy had been performed, and the results of the toxicology reports would determine Perry’s case of death.

Law enforcement has said that foul play is not suspected.

The medical examiner’s records on Sunday indicated that the actor’s remains were ready to be released to his next of kin.

Brian Humphrey, spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department, reported that a 911 call came at 4:07 p.m. on Saturday for a water rescue emergency. The LAPD responded at 4:10 p.m., and Perry was found unresponsive in the hot tub. The call was classified as a “death investigation.”

On Sunday, Perry’s family released a statement that they were “heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother.” 

In his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir, released in November 2022, Perry opened up about his recovery from addiction. He recalled how in the later seasons of Friends, he would take 55 Vicodin pills a day and go to open houses to steal pills from strangers’ medicine cabinets.

Perry spoke and wrote on the theme of being close to death multiple times.

He opened his book, “Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.”

Perry spent two weeks in a coma in 2018 when his colon burst as a result of his drug use. The doctors had said he had a 2% chance to live. After 15 trips to rehab, he appeared very committed to his sobriety while he promoted his book, noting that he wanted to help others with their addiction struggles.