Matthew Perry's AA Colleague Claims He Had 'A Lot Of Enablers' & Couldn't Deal With 'Tough Love'

A rehab colleague of the late Matthew Perry has come forward to shed light on the actor's prolonged battle with substance abuse and addiction, noting that he struggled to maintain sobriety because he had "a lot of enablers" around him and pushed back against criticism from his rehab peers.

Perry passed away at age 54 in October, with autopsy reports revealing that he succumbed to a ketamine overdose. The "Friends" star previously claimed to have gotten over his addiction issues, but a close pal of his alleged that he lied about it.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a former colleague from Perry's rehab stint revealed that the late actor had "a lot of enablers" around him while he struggled with substance abuse and alcohol addiction.

In a recent conversation with the New York Post, the former rehab pal divulged that the beloved actor surrounded himself with people who turned a blind eye to his plight and also struggled to accept criticism from the Alcoholics Anonymous members.

"Mr. Perry wasn't able to deal with the tough love which is characteristic of my AA group," the source told the news outlet. "I feel for him, but in my 25 year's experience, sometimes 'helping' someone is really enabling."

"I think he had a lot of enablers who meant well. He was in a golden cage," the source went on, adding that Perry was an "ordinary addict," in his opinion.

Perry was found face down in the jacuzzi adjoining the pool at his Pacific Palisades, California home on October 28. He previously claimed to be clean and sober for 18 months leading up to the time of his death, but a close friend of his recently told the Daily Mail that it was all a lie.

In his 2022 bestselling memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," the "Three to Tango" actor wrote that he was able to achieve sobriety and overcome his addictions with the help of a sober coach and a close friend of his.

"He lied to everyone about being clean. He never was. It is very sad. You know, the biggest lie he told was probably to himself," Perry's friend, who opted to remain anonymous, disclosed.

"He could be quite a manipulative person when it came to his struggles with using, but it was such a struggle, such a battle, and he battled every day to the end," the source added.

The autopsy report for Perry confirmed that the actor passed away due to a ketamine overdose in conjunction with other contributory factors.

The official report, released by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office and obtained by The Blast, revealed that he tragically succumbed to an equal measure of Ketamine as a hospital patient under general anesthetic, with his death resulting from the "acute effects of Ketamine" and drowning.

"The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner determined the cause of death for 54-year-old actor Matthew Langford Perry as the acute effects of ketamine," the Los Angeles coroner's office revealed.

They went on, "Contributing factors in Mr Perry's death include drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine (used to treat opioid use disorder). The manner of death is an accident."

Perry was said to have been undergoing treatment for his depression via Ketamine infusion therapy about two weeks before he died.

The actor gave fans a peek behind the curtains of his struggles as he laid bare his long-standing battle with addiction in his 2022 memoir.

In the book, he revealed that following the rupture of his colon in 2018, the prescribed opioid medication appeared inadequate in managing his pain. Consequently, he resorted to seeking supplies from street vendors, obtaining powerful OxyContin, which may have been tainted with fentanyl.

"The street pills were something like $75 per pill, so I was giving the guy $3,000 at a time, many times a week," he wrote.

The memoir detailed how he had to undergo a dozen life-saving surgeries, 15 trips to rehab clinics, went to 6,000 alcohol anonymous meetings and was in detox 65 times to attain sobriety. He also noted that he made a huge investment of about $9 million to that end.

At the time, he revealed he had overcome his addictions and was leading a healthier lifestyle, even picking up pickleball as a choice sport.