A Look at Matthew Perry’s Last Days And Those Charged in His Death

The Culture

August 16, 2024

A Look at Matthew Perry's Last Days And Those Charged in His Death

We finally have more information on the death of Matthew Perry. Five people have been arrested in connection with the actor's death, including his longtime assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa.

"Defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry's addiction issues to enrich themselves," Martin Estrada, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, said on Thursday announcing the arrests. "They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr. Perry, but they did it anyway."

Estrada went on to say their investigation "revealed a broad, underground criminal network responsible for distributing large quantities of ketamine to Mr. Perry and others."

Perry had a long and open battle with drug addiction. On October 28, the actor was found unresponsive at his home in Pacific Palisades, California.

I'm glad people will hopefully be held responsible for taking advantage of Perry, but wow, this is just depressing. The fact that not only would his personal assistant, someone you're supposed to trust, allegedly do something like this, but also that doctors no less would do this just to make money? It's appalling.

Here's what else is poppin' in the world of pop culture...

JK Rowling has been suspiciously quiet as of late. Hmmm, I wonder why? Probably because Olympic gold medalist boxer Imane Khelif filed a legal complaint in France against her and others like Elon Musk for spreading misinformation about her gender, leading to personal attacks against Khelif. Rowling posted to X, formerly Twitter, questioning Khelif's gender, calling her a "man."
Taylor Swift is back to performing after her shows in Vienna were canceled because of a possible terror threat. Her first shows back, this time in London, included a surprise guest: Ed Sheeran! Glad to see her back.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are totally not on a royal tour, despite it looking very much like a royal tour. On Thursday they started a four-day tour of Colombia on the invitation of the country's vice president, Francia Márquez. Honestly, I kind of like them doing royal tours that aren't royal tours. They still get the press but can do what they want. (I hope they visit McDonald's. I don't know why. I just want to see them in a McDonald's.)
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars debuted a new song called "Die with a Smile." The music video for the song dropped late last night, looking very much like a 60s/70s variety show, with Gaga in massive hair. (It looks very much like something tied to her upcoming film Joker: Folie à Deux.) Gaga joined Mars on stage at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles to perform the song live. To be honest, I love the visuals of the song, but the actual song? Kind of a snooze.

That's it for me today. Make sure you check out today's Parting Shot podcast. Eliot Glazer joined me to talk all about this week's biggest stories, including that Blake Lively vs. Justin Aldoni situation and, of course, that insane X chat between Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump. In the meantime, keep scrolling, and have a great weekend!

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What the Stars are Saying

Nikki Glaser has walked back on her previous comments about Tom Brady. During an appearance on the SmartLess podcast with hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett, the comedian opened up about Netflix's The Roast of Tom Brady. Read what Glaser said below.

Four Suspects Arrested Over Killing of Johnny Wactor

The General Hospital star was shot to death allegedly "without provocation" in May according to Los Angeles police. Here's the latest.

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Blake Lively Interviewer Explains Justin Claims Not Reason For Clip Release

Journalist Kjersti Flaa set the record straight behind why she shared her "nightmare" interview with Blake Lively now, eight years after it took place. This is why.

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Taylor Swift Harris Endorsement 'Likely,' Says Expert—'Biggest Advantage'

Swift has established herself as a political force over the years. Here's what a PR expert says about a potential Harris endorsement.

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Ben Affleck-JLO Divorce Could Spark Messy Battle Over Assets

A split could be far more difficult if the celebrity couple mingled their finances in the two years they have married, an attorney has said. Learn more.

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Ted Danson Suffered 'Worst Hours of His Life' After Taking Mushrooms

Danson says he had a horrible time tripping on a boat with his Cheers cast mates. Check it out.

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Culture Spotlight

Kavin Becon

Nick Jonas' 'Big Imagination' Guides His Choices: 'Want to Do It All'

By H. Alan Scott

When you've reached the level of stardom Nick Jonas has, you can pretty much do anything. But his fame isn't a factor for him when picking projects, the story is. "It's definitely helpful to work with brilliant people. And this one [The Good Half] is insane." In the film, Jonas plays Renn, who returns home for his mom's funeral. He says the movie "made me think of great films that I think do that really well, where the themes and the story might be sad [but] the only way through situations is to find the humor." Known for music, Jonas is proud to do a variety of things, including an expected 2025 Broadway musical The Last Five Years. Find out more about Jonas' "big imagination" below.

Read the full interview

Listen to the latest episode of The Parting Shot HERE

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