Matthew Perry's Final Days and Shocking Death: Unpacking the Sprawling Legal Fallout - E! Online
Determining that Matthew Perry died from acute effects of ketamine was only the beginning as authorities investigated how the Friends star acquired the drug for at-home use.
Watch : Matthew Perry’s Mom Details Chilling Conversation Before Friends Alum’s Death
Matthew Perry joked in his 2022 memoir that the drug ketamine may as well have been called "Matty," that's how much he felt it was made for him.
A signature quip that is nothing but disturbing in hindsight.
Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy, premiering Feb. 25 on Peacock, delves into his last days and the far-reaching legal fallout from his shocking death from acute effects of ketamine, authorities having determined that a number of other people contributed to his demise.
"Hollywood is full of enablers," noted a commentator in the documentary trailer. "They really preyed on someone vulnerable."
Perry died Oct. 28, 2023, at his Pacific Palisades home. His live-in assistant found the 54-year-old unresponsive in his swimming pool hot tub, and drugs and drowning were cited as contributing factors to his death in the Los Angeles County medical examiner's postmortem report.
The loss was sad any way you looked at it, not least because Perry was beloved by fans, most notably for his role as Chandler Bing on Friends. But also because he had so far managed to survive a battle with substance abuse that he admitted had nearly killed him on multiple occasions.
read
Lisa Kudrow Finds Hidden Note From Late Matthew Perry in Friends Gift He Gave
"At this point in my life, the words of gratitude pour of of me because I should be dead," Perry wrote in his book, "and yet somehow I am not."
He also wrote that, while at one point in 2020 he was getting daily ketamine infusions, he eventually decided it wasn't for him, that the "giant exhale" it provided wasn't worth how he felt afterward.
Picture Perfect/Shutterstock
Ketamine, a medical-grade anesthetic, was once known primarily as a recreational drug people took to check out or stimulate hallucinations. But it's acquired more mainstream cachet in recent years as an off-label treatment for conditions such as depression and chronic pain.
Which at first very much appealed to Perry.
Taking it was "like being hit in the head with a happy shovel," he described in the book, but "the hangover was rough and outweighed the shovel."
Yet when he died, the amount of ketamine found in his blood was equivalent to someone under general anesthesia, according to the medical examiner's autopsy report.
How Perry got his hands on that much ketamine soon became a matter for authorities, the Los Angeles Police Department confirming in May 2024 that a criminal investigation was ongoing with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Postal Service.
photos
The Most Shocking Revelations From Matthew Perry's Memoir
And just a few days before Perry would have turned 55 on Aug. 19, authorities revealed that five people—including two doctors and his assistant who found him in the hot tub—had been charged in connection with his death.
The months-long investigation "revealed a broad underground criminal network responsible for distributing large quantities of ketamine to Mr. Perry and others," U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said at an Aug. 15 press conference announcing the charges. "This network included a live-in assistant, various go-betweens, two medical doctors and a major source of drug supply known as, quote, the 'Ketamine Queen.'"
Read on for all the details on the legal cases that resulted from Perry's death:
Who has been charged in connection with the death of Matthew Perry?Jasveen Sangha, an alleged drug dealer dubbed the "Ketamine Queen," and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, a.k.a. "Dr. P," have been charged with one count apiece of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, authorities announced Aug. 15 after both were arrested.
Sangha, 41, is also charged with one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution of ketamine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California.
The superseding indictment alleged that Sangha's distribution of ketamine on Oct. 24, 2023, resulted in Perry's death. "The statutory maximum she faces is life imprisonment," prosecutor Estrada told reporters.
photos
Stars React to Matthew Perry's Death
Sangha pleaded not guilty at arraignment in federal court and is being held without bail while she awaits trial, according to the New York Times.
Attorney Mark Geragos, whose law firm is representing Sangha, said on NewsNation's CUOMO in August that Perry's death was tragic but he didn't see it as a criminal case.
"I understand people want to hold people accountable," he told Chris Cuomo. "I get that...But I think they’re going to have a very tough time holding people accountable."
In addition to the conspiracy charge, Plasencia, 43, is facing seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation.
He's facing a maximum of 120 years in prison, Estrada said, up to 10 years per ketamine-related charge and 20 years for each records count.
Plasencia has pleaded not guilty and a judge set his bond at $100,000, per the Associated Press.
His attorney Stefan Sacks said after the hearing, per the AP, "Ultimately, Dr. Plasencia was operating with what he thought were the best of medical intentions" and his actions "certainly didn't rise to the level of criminal misconduct."
The lawyer added, "His only concern was to give the best medical treatment and to do no harm. Unfortunately harm was done. But it was after his involvement."
Plasencia and Sangha were due to go on trial in March, but the proceedings have been postponed until Aug. 19 after their attorneys requested more time to prepare their defense, according to a court filing reviewed by The Times.
read
Jennifer Aniston Remembers Matthew Perry With Heartwarming Friends Photos One Year After His Death
Three others were charged separately and reached plea deals with prosecutors.
Eric Fleming, 54 when the charges were filed, pleaded guilty on Aug. 8 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death, and the deal was formalized in October, according to prosecutors. Per the indictment, he admitted to obtaining ketamine from Sangha and distributing it to Perry by way of the actor's assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, 59.
Fleming is facing up to 25 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
On Aug. 7, Iwamasa pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute ketamine causing death. Per the superseding indictment, the 59-year-old admitted to repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine—including multiple injections the day he died—without medical training. He's facing up to 15 years in prison.
PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
Meanwhile, Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, who used to run a ketamine clinic in San Diego, Calif., agreed Aug. 30 to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and entered his plea Oct. 2, according to prosecutors.
Per the indictment, he admitted to selling ketamine diverted from his own clinic—as well as obtaining additional ketamine under false pretenses from a wholesale distributor—to transfer to Plasencia.
Chavez, who remains free on a $50,000 bond, is facing up to 10 years in federal prison when he's sentenced April 2.
"He is trying to do everything in his power to right the wrong that happened here," Chavez's attorney Matthew Binninger told reporters following his arraignment. "He is doing everything in his power to cooperate, to help in this situation, and he's incredibly remorseful."
Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for GQ
How did the defendants get involved with Matthew Perry?While ketamine has "some legitimate uses," Estrada told reporters, it must be administered by medical professionals "and the patient must be monitored closely. That did not occur here."
When Perry "fell back into addiction" in the fall of 2023, the prosecutor continued, the defendants "took advantage to profit for themselves."
photos
Celebrity Rehabbers
According to authorities, Plasencia found out that Perry was interested in obtaining ketamine and worked with Chavez to get approximately 20 vials of the drug to the actor in September and October in exchange for $55,000.
Plasencia wrote in September 2023 text messages to Chavez, "I wonder how much this moron will pay" and "Lets [sic] find out," according to the indictment detailing charges against Plasencia and Sangha.
But it was Sangha, prosecutors allege, who supplied the batch of ketamine that resulted in Perry's death. In a subsequent search of Sangha's home, Estrada said, investigators found "what amounted to a drug-selling emporium," including 79 vials of ketamine, "thousands of pills," cocaine, bottles of Xanax and other illegally obtained prescription drugs, and paraphernalia including scales and ledgers that indicated an intent to sell drugs.
The defendants used coded language to discuss ketamine, Estrada said, calling it "Dr. Pepper." And after Perry died, he continued, Sangha texted Fleming and instructed him to delete all of their messages.
Plasencia later falsified medical records and notes "to make it look like what he was doing was legitimate," Estrada said. "It was not."
Noting that his office was sending a "clear message" by filing these charges, Estrada added, "Every victim's life counts. If you are in the drug-selling business and you're selling dangerous drugs, you are playing roulette with other people's lives, just like the five defendants here did to Mr. Perry."
read
Courteney Cox Shares Matthew Perry Visits Her 6 Months After His Death
Why was Matthew Perry taking ketamine?Despite his professed aversion to the hangover it caused, as he detailed in his memoir, police say Perry sought treatment for anxiety and depression at an L.A.-area clinic and ended up addicted to intravenous ketamine.
"When clinic doctors refused to increase his dosage," LAPD Chief Dominic Choi said during the Aug. 15 press conference, "he turned to unscrupulous doctors who saw Perry as a way to make quick money."
Perry was charged $2,000 for a vial of ketamine that cost Chavez "approximately $12" to procure, the chief said. Wanting it "faster and cheaper" as his addiction intensified, Choi continued, Perry turned to "street dealers" who sold the stuff that "ultimately led to his death."
How did the ketamine get to Matthew Perry?Upon finding out in late September 2023 that Perry was interested in obtaining ketamine, Plasencia contacted Chavez to get the drug to sell to the actor, according to the federal indictment unsealed by prosecutors.
The indictment alleges the doctors conspired about inventory, price and availability. Chavez then wrote a false prescription in a patient's name to obtain ketamine lozenges to sell to Plasencia and lied to wholesale distributors to buy additional vials of liquid ketamine, according to prosecutors.
As part of his plea agreement, Chavez admitted to diverting ketamine from his San Diego clinic to sell to Plasencia, as well as to lying to a drug distributor and submitting a prescription under the name of a former patient without consent.
Plasencia sold ketamine to Iwamasa and Perry in September and October 2023 on at least seven occasions and taught Iwamasa—who didn't have medical training—how to inject Perry with the drug, the indictment alleges.
Plasencia also gave Perry injections—including once inside a car in a Long Beach parking lot—without observing appropriate safety protocols, prosecutors allege in the indictment.
In mid-October 2023, Iwamasa started getting ketamine for his boss from Fleming, who procured it from Sangha, who had been dealing ketamine and other drugs out of her North Hollywood stash house since at least 2019, the indictment further alleges.
Overall, prosecutors allege, Sangha sold Perry roughly 50 vials of ketamine that October for $11,000.
read
Conan O'Brien Admits He Was "Jealous" Over Ex Lisa Kudrow Praising Costar Matthew Perry
Who administered ketamine to Matthew Perry the day he died?On Oct. 24, 2023, Fleming obtained 25 vials of ketamine, as well as an "add on" of ketamine lollipops, from Sangha and delivered them to Iwamasa at Perry's house, according to the indictment detailing charges against Sangha and Plasencia. That day, Iwamasa injected Perry with ketamine at least six times, per the charges.
Iwamasa also gave Perry at least six shots each day on Oct. 25, Oct. 26 and Oct. 27, the indictment alleges, and then—using syringes supplied by Plasencia—gave the actor at least three shots on Oct. 28, the day Perry died.
Iwamasa has admitted to giving Perry ketamine injections and administering multiple doses to him on Oct. 28, 2023, according to the indictment.
"Matthew Perry’s journey began with unscrupulous doctors who abused their position of trust because they saw him as a payday, to street dealers who gave him ketamine in unmarked vials," Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Anne Milgram told reporters Aug. 15.
Added prosecutor Estrada, "These defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring about his well-being."
Ahead of the first anniversary of his death, Perry's mother Suzanne Morrison and his stepfather since 1981, Dateline host Keith Morrison, reiterated their support for the criminal case against the defendants.
"What I'm hoping, and I think the agencies that got involved in this are hoping," Morrison said in an interview with TODAY, "that people who have put themselves in the business of supplying people with the drugs that will kill them—they are now on notice. It doesn't matter what your professional credentials are. You are going down, baby."
Keep reading to see Perry's life in pictures:
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
The Boys Will Be Boys star poses for a photo while at the Limelight in New York City.
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
The Sydney actor takes a break while on the set of the CBS series in Los Angeles, California.
Reisig & Taylor/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
The Friends star sits by the well-known fountain that serves as the backdrop for the show's opening sequence.
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
The Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing author attends the Scream premiere in Los Angeles.
Gerald Weinman/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
Perry poses while on the set of Friends as his beloved character Chandler Bing.
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
The 17 Again star attends the Los Angeles premiere of The Grinch.
Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage
The actor hits the red carpet for the premiere of The Whole Ten Yards.
Evan Agostini/Getty Images
The Mr. Sunshine star attends the Entertainment Weekly and Matrix Men upfront party.
Gabriel Olsen/WireImage
The Odd Couple actor hangs out backstage at an event in celebration of the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards.
Dave Benett/Getty Images
Perry poses for a photo while at the play The End Of Longing.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival
The American-Canadian actor was front and center at The Circle premiere in New York City.
Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic
Perry attends the 2022 GQ Men of the Year party.
David Livingston/Getty Images
Six months prior to his passing, the Almost Heroes star discussed his memoir while on stage at the 2023 Los Angeles Times Festival.
Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy is streaming on Peacock.
E!, NBC and Peacock are members of the NBCUniversal family.
(Originally published Aug. 18, 2024, at 4 a.m. PT)
Watch E! News weeknights Monday through Thursday at 11 p.m., only on E!.
The comedian was more passionate than usual, tearing into Elon Musk's DOGE and President Joe Biden's reforms he said didn't go far enough. The dramatic scene led to him injuring himself.
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
A man has admitted stalking Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
A man has admitted stalking Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
A fan who had stalked the Strictly Come Dancing head judge for years has finally admitted his offences ahead of a trial at Liverpool Crown Court..
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Kyle Shaw, 37, has pleaded guilty to stalking between 2017 and 2023
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Kyle Shaw, 37, pleaded guilty to stalking Ballas, 64, causing serious harm or distress, between August 31 2017 and November 29 2023.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
This is where the fun begins!
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The Wanted star Tom Parker's widow Kelsey Parker appeared on ITV's Lorraine to speak candidly about her new relationship and how she received a negative reaction from trolls
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/TinaKnowlesJay-ZBeyonceBlueIvySocial-8aa147f0957b4ce2b7ad5d540a9302fb.jpg)
Tina Knowles said on "The Jennifer Hudson Show" that Beyonce's eldest daughter Blue Ivy Carter doesn't turn to her for advice.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/TinaKnowlesJay-ZBeyonceBlueIvySocial-8aa147f0957b4ce2b7ad5d540a9302fb.jpg&description=Tina Knowles Shares Who Granddaughter Blue Ivy Carter Turns to For Advice—and It’s Not Her Tina Knowles said on ) |
|
|
The 37-year-old was heard to have stalked the judge for six years
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Kyle Shaw admitted to stalking the professional dancer between August 31 2017 and November 29 2023
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
"I'm deeply worried by the darkening shadow that's going over the world, a shadow we have to call fascism... absolutely it's a cult of power and power only speaks to power."
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles explained why she was left in disbelief as her daughter finally won her Album of the Year Grammy with Cowboy Carter.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Kyle Shaw, 37, appeared before a judge in Liverpool today after being accused of causing serious distress to the BBC star between 2017 and 2023
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Her reasoning is certainly understandable.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 Her reasoning is certainly understandable. %23kathleenkennedy) |
|
|
Twitter (X), Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network prior to its rebrand as X. In addition to Twitter, the company previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope livestreaming service
Twitter (X) is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 619 million monthly active users worldwide. One of the most exciting features of Twitter (X) is the ability to see what topics are trending in real-time. Twitter trends are a fascinating way to stay up to date on what people are talking about on the platform, and they can also be a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to stay relevant and informed. In this article, we will discuss Twitter (X) trends, how they work, and how you can use them to your advantage.
What are Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are a list of topics that are currently being talked about on the platform and also world. The topics on this list change in real-time and are based on the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be localized to a Worldwide country or region or can be global, depending on the topic's popularity.
How Do Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends Work?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are generated by an algorithm that analyzes the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. When the algorithm detects a sudden increase in tweets using a specific hashtag or keyword, it considers that topic to be trending.
Once a topic is identified as trending, it is added to the list of Twitter (X) Worldwide trends. The topics on this list are ranked based on their popularity, with the most popular topics appearing at the top of the list.
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be filtered by location or category, allowing users to see what topics are trending in their area or in a particular industry. Additionally, users can click on a trending topic to see all of the tweets using that hashtag or keyword.