Matthew Perry’s Stepdad and Sister Reflect on His ‘Incredibly Shocking’ Death 1 Year After Passing

Matthew Perry’s stepdad, Keith Morrison, and sister Caitlin Morrison opened up about his death one year after his passing.

“I have this treasure of getting to keep him very, very close to my life all the time, which is wonderful,” Caitlin, 43, told HELLO! Canada, referencing her work as the executive director of the Matthew Perry Foundation of Canada.

According to the website, “the Matthew Perry Foundation was established to honor Matthew Perry’s profound legacy and unwavering commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction.”

Caitlin added that the work makes her feel “like I’m sitting right next to Matthew, working with him every day on something that was important to him.”

She also shared fond memories about Matthew, explaining that he “had this ability to fill up a room with light” and that he had a “magnetic energy.” She continued, “Everybody just had a smile on their face and they clung to everything that he said.”

Meanwhile, Keith, 77, told the outlet that he believes Matthew “would like to be remembered for doing something to help people suffering from addiction.”

Keith married Matthew’s mom, Suzanne Morrison, in 1981 when the Friends alum was a preteen.

The broadcast journalist admitted it was “incredibly shocking” when Matthew “suddenly died” in October 2023. “Anybody who has lost a child will tell you that, even if you are in some way prepared for the possibility, it’s shattering,” he continued. “What we have decided to do is hang on to that determination and try to do something useful.”

In addition to speaking with HELLO! Canada, Caitlin also reflected on losing her brother in an op-ed for the Toronto Star published on Thursday, October 24.

“People often assume that the unusual things make the loss harder. They say things like, ‘I’m sorry for your loss. Especially with all the attention. It must make it so much harder.’ I thank them with sincerity but am often tempted to tell them they are wrong,” she wrote. “Loss is a lonely business, and sharing my loss with the world took some of the loneliness out of it.”

Matthew was found unresponsive in the hot tub at his home in Los Angeles on October 28, 2023. He was pronounced dead later that day at the age of 54 years old. An autopsy eventually confirmed that his cause of death was the acute effects of ketamine.

Authorities launched an investigation into Matthew’s death, and several people were arrested in connection with his passing in August. “Ketamine Queen” Jasveen Sangha, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, Dr. Mark Chavez and Matthew’s assistant Kenneth Iwamasa were all arrested for their alleged involvement in providing the Fools Rush In actor drugs.

Chavez, 54, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine on October 2. Meanwhile, Iwamasa, 59, and Fleming, 54, also both pleaded guilty, and Sangha, 41, and Plasencia, 42, have pleaded not guilty.

Following the arrests, an insider exclusively told In Touch that his loved ones were “absolutely horrified that he was prescribed ketamine when it’s a known party drug, regardless of the supposed therapeutic effects.” After noting that Matthew was a known addict, the source explained that “they feel he should not have been prescribed it and they absolutely feel it was a slippery slope that led him to abusing it again.”