Five people have been charged in the death of Friends actor Matthew Perry of ketamine overdose, including two doctors and Perry's personal assistant.
Perry died last October at the age of 54 due to the acute effects of the anesthetic ketamine, and was found face-down in a hot tub. At the time, Perry had been undergoing ketamine infusion therapy to treat depression and anxiety. However, his autopsy stated that the ketamine in his system at death could not have been from the therapy as Perry had not received a medical infusion for over a week, and the ketamine levels in Perry's body were abnormally high. The coroner deemed his death an accident, but a criminal investigation was opened.
Now, an 18-count indictment alleges that five individuals are responsible for Perry's death. One, a North Hollywood drug dealer named Jasveen Sangha, allegedly sold ketamine to Perry's assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. Using a syringe obtained from Dr. Salvador Plasencia, Iwamasa then injected Perry with the ketamine received from Sangha multiple times on the day Perry died. Iwamasa has since pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing a death. Both Sangha and Plasencia have been arrested.
The indictment also states that the day of Perry's death was not the only time this occurred. Throughout September and October of 2023, Plasencia allegedly distributed ketamine to both Perry and Iwamasa "outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose on at least seven occasions." The press release from the US Attorney's office continues:
[Plasencia] did so by teaching Iwamasa how to inject Perry with ketamine, selling ketamine to Iwamasa to inject into Perry, leaving vials of ketamine with Iwamasa for self-administration, personally injecting ketamine into Perry without the proper safety equipment – including once inside a car parked in a Long Beach parking lot – and failing to properly monitor Perry after Plasencia injected Perry with the drug. Plasencia knew that Iwamasa had never received medical training and knew little, if anything, about administering or treating patients with controlled substances.
Additionally, Dr. Mark Chavez has agreed to plead guilty on one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, and has admitted to selling Perry ketamine. And an acquaintance of Perry's, Erik Fleming, has pleaded guilty to distributing the ketamine that killed Perry, having first received it from Sangha.
In a statement, US Attorney Martin Estrada claimed that the defendants "took advantage" of Perry's past issues with addiction, with text messages allegedly written by Plasencia reading, "I wonder how much this moron will pay” and “Lets [sic] find out.”
Best known for his role as Chandler in Friends, Perry also starred in films such as 17 Again, Mr. Sunshine, Go On, and The Odd Couple. Upon his death, numerous friends, colleagues, and fans shared their love for Perry and his work on social media. His co-stars on Friends in particular wrote a number of touching tributes.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
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