A California doctor has pleaded guilty to illegally supplying Friends star Matthew Perry with ketamine in the weeks before his death.
Ketamine Injections Not Medically Necessary
Salvador Plasencia, who ran an urgent care clinic, admitted to injecting Perry with ketamine at his home and in a Santa Monica car park. He acknowledged the injections weren’t for legitimate medical reasons.
Ketamine is a powerful anaesthetic, sometimes prescribed for depression and anxiety. It’s also misused recreationally for its hallucinogenic effects.
Perry, best known for playing Chandler Bing on Friends, passed away in October 2023 at the age of 54. He had spoken openly about his long battle with addiction.
Doctor Faces Up to 40 Years
Plasencia was charged with four counts of illegally distributing ketamine and could face up to 40 years in prison. He obtained the drug from another doctor, Mark Chavez. In a text to Chavez, Plasencia reportedly said of Perry: “I wonder how much this moron will pay.”
Chavez and two other co-defendants have also pleaded guilty, though none have been sentenced yet.
‘Ketamine Queen’ to Face Trial
A fifth person, Jasveen Sangha, nicknamed the “ketamine queen” by authorities, is accused of supplying the dose that killed Perry. She has pleaded not guilty and is set to go on trial in August.
Fans around the world mourned Perry’s death. He was not only a beloved TV star but also a vocal advocate for addiction recovery, using his experience to help others.
