S Poddar
Five persons, including two doctors and a personal assistant to Matthew Perry, were charged Thursday in relation to the overdose death of the “Friends” star last October, according to authorities.
According to U.S. Attorney E. Martin Estrada in a news conference, the charged defendants include Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa; two doctors, Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez; and a North Hollywood woman, Jasveen Sangha, also known as the “Ketamine Queen.” The charges are over allegations that these defendants were the individuals who furnished Perry with the final loads of the drug ketamine, which eventually killed him.
The court documents describe a stunning pattern of exploitation. According to the court documents, Plasencia and Chavez viewed Perry as a way to make some easy money, where the two exchanged text messages showing their regards toward the well-being of the actor. In one exchange, Plasencia texted Chavez, saying, “I wonder how much this moron will pay,” before adding, “Let’s find out.”
The indictment alleges that Plasencia supplied Perry with ketamine numerous times, and once even taught Iwamasa how to administer the drug. And in return for teaching her how to inject it, Perry’s assistant got a load of ketamine and syringes—all for $4,500. Text messages show that Iwamasa ordered eight vials of ketamine—”8 bottles of Dr. Pepper”—weeks before Perry’s death.
The investigation clearly established Sangha’s role in the supply of drugs to Perry. According to the indictment, she is accused of having supplied Perry with ketamine lollipops, bragged about having a “master chef” cook up the supplied ketamine, and put down roots in Vegas.
In the days leading up to his death, Iwamasa allegedly gave Perry at least 15 doses of ketamine, all supplied by Sangha. On October 28, 2023, when Perry was found dead in his hot tub, Iwamasa gave him three final doses of ketamine.
It was the shocking details of Perry’s final moments that will now cause multiple law enforcement agencies to open a new investigation into his death, including the LAPD, the DEA, and the USPIS. Search warrants were executed to reveal the whole conspiracy that led to Perry’s overdose.
Tributes to Perry from his “Friends” co-stars came quickly upon his death. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Lisa Kudrow put out a joint statement expressing sadness, saying that they are “utterly devastated” over the loss. “We were more than just castmates. We are a family,” they said, asking for time to process heartbreak.
Perry was 54 at the time of death. He had been undergoing the ketamine infusion as a remedy for depression and anxiety. His autopsy revealed the amount of ketamine in his system to be way above therapeutic levels, obviously pointing to questions on his treatment. His co-stars and fans all over the world are still in mourning over the loss of their favorite actor, whose role as Chandler Bing was an eternal stamp on television.
