In the legal proceedings connected to the circumstances surrounding actor Matthew Perry’s death, his mother and stepfather submitted such victim impact statements to the court, describing the profound impact of his loss. Their letters were included in official court filings, as reported by Rolling Stone.
Matthew Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing on Friends, was found unresponsive in his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, the cause of death was the acute effects of ketamine, a dissociative anaesthetic sometimes used medically but also misused recreationally. His death was ruled accidental, with drowning, coronary artery disease, and buprenorphine therapy listed as contributing factors.
Matthew Perry’s mother and stepfather, Suzanne and Keith Morrison, describe the depth of their grief as immeasurable, comparing it to the “bottom falling out” of their lives. They recount years spent trying to protect their son from the addiction that threatened him, only to feel that their efforts were undone by individuals they describe as predators. In their statement, they condemn the doctor involved for secretly supplying Perry with drugs despite knowing his long-standing struggles, accusing him of violating his professional duty for money and exploiting Perry’s vulnerability.
Matthew Perry’s father and stepmother, John and Debby Perry, wrote that the doctor responsible for supplying drugs to the actor did not deserve to hear their full feelings. They describe Perry as a loving son, a supportive figure in their family, and someone they expected to become the family’s “next patriarch.” In their statement, they question why a doctor, whose duty is to help people would repeatedly provide Perry with dangerous drugs despite knowing his history. They express disbelief at his motives, ask whether he considered the fatal consequences, and urge the court to impose a sentence longer than the mandatory minimum so he has time to reflect on the harm he caused.
Perry had spoken openly over the years about his struggles with alcohol and opioid use disorder. His addiction journey began in the 1990s, intensified after a jet-ski accident in 1997 when he was prescribed opioid pain medication, and led to periods of severe dependency. In his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, he detailed numerous hospitalizations, near-fatal complications, and an estimated 15 rehabilitation stays.
Despite these struggles, Perry often advocated for recovery, funded treatment centers, and spoke publicly about addiction as a chronic medical condition requiring long-term care echoing consensus from medical literature that substance use disorders involve neurobiological, psychological, and social components requiring sustained treatment.
A victim-impact statement (VIS) is a written or oral account submitted by a victim or, in certain cases, by the victim’s family detailing how a crime has impacted their lives. These statements may cover:
Emotional trauma or grief
Physical injury
Financial consequences (medical bills, funeral costs, lost wages)
Broader effects on family members and relationships
Once submitted to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a written VIS is forwarded to the U.S. Probation Office. It becomes part of the Presentence Investigation Report (PSIR), which the sentencing judge reviews before determining the defendant’s punishment. The written format gives judges a chance to re-read the narrative and reflect on its contents prior to making a final decision.
The victim impact statements submitted by Matthew Perry’s mother and stepfather serve as a formal expression of their loss within the legal process surrounding his death.
(Rh/TL/MSM)