The cause of death for actor Matthew Perry, who was found unresponsive in his hot tub Saturday, has been “deferred,” the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office announced on Sunday afternoon. Many news outlets had initially written he had died from an apparent drowning.
“In cases where the cause of death cannot be determined at the time of autopsy, a deferred certificate will be issued until additional studies have been completed,” according to the LA coroner’s guidelines.
The medical examiner’s office told CNN that an autopsy has been conducted, “but examiners are awaiting the results of toxicology reports in order to determine Perry’s cause of death.”
Investigators are planning to use the toxicology reports to determine whether any foreign substances were involved in Perry’s death, a law enforcement source told the outlet. The source also said no foul play is suspected.
Perry had been dealing with various addictions throughout his life since he was on "Friends" and had detailed he journey in his 2022 memoir "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing."
On Sunday, the medical examiner’s records indicated the actor’s remains were ready to be released to his next of kin, CNN reported.
