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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Inga Parkel

Matthew Perry’s unmarked gravesite updated with special nod to Friends

Matthew Perry has finally received a grave plaque more than two years after his untimely death in from a ketamine overdose.

The Friends star’s final resting place, located at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, in Los Angeles, had originally gone unmarked to protect the family’s privacy — a common practice for celebrity burials.

However, a shiny new bronze plaque now adorns Perry’s mausoleum, and it includes a special reference to his beloved sitcom Friends.

It first reads “Matthew Langford Perry,” with the dates of his birth and death, August 19, 1969 - October 28, 2023, listed underneath. The final line includes a simple epitaph: “Much loved — Friend —” an apparent nod to the seminal comedy, which aired from 1994 to 2004.

While the exact date of the plate’s addition to his grave is unknown, numerous reports suggest that the update occurred sometime within the last month, as it remained unmarked as recently as November 25, 2025, per Entertainment Weekly.

Matthew Perry's family originally chose to leave the gravesite unmarked for privacy (Getty Images)

Despite going unmarked for a period of time, Perry’s grave has consistently been flooded with flowers and memorabilia from fans who have successfully found the burial site situated in a quiet section of the cemetery.

Forest Lawn Memorial Park is the final resting place for many celebrities, including Michael Jackson, Walt Disney, Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds and the late Fast and Furious star, Paul Walker.

Perry was 54 when he was found dead in his hot tub. An autopsy revealed his cause of death was due to the “acute effects” of ketamine. Drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine, a drug used to treat opioid use disorder, were also listed as contributing to his death.

Following a seven-month investigation, five people were federally charged in his death. Last month, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who repeatedly sold vials of ketamine to Perry, despite knowing the actor’s well-documented history of drug addiction and that Perry’s personal assistant was administering the drug without medical training or supervision, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.

That same month, a second doctor, Mark Chavez, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute ketamine to Perry. Chavez managed to avoid prison time and was instead sentenced to eight months of home detention.

Three other individuals, including Perry’s personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa; “Ketamine Queen” Jasveen Sangha, who sold the drugs to Perry; and Erik Fleming, who distributed the drugs that killed Perry, are currently awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to their roles in the actor’s death.

According to prosecutors, Perry had used ketamine to treat depression and had received ketamine infusion therapy from doctors. But it is claimed the actor began getting the drug from dealers when his doctors refused to prescribe him more doses.

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