Two and a half years after the death of Matthew Perry, a drug trafficker who killed the star actor of the series “Friends” must be sentenced Wednesday by a California court.
Nicknamed the “Queen of Ketamine” in some Hollywood circles, Jasveen Sangha faces up to 65 years in prison, after pleading guilty last year to a series of charges, including distributing ketamine resulting in death.
This admission of guilt spared him a trial before a jury and led prosecutors to drop other charges. Ms Sangha, a 42-year-old British-American, has been in custody since August 2024.
The death of Matthew Perry, found unconscious in his jacuzzi in October 2023, shocked “Friends” fans and sparked a shower of tributes in Hollywood.
The 54-year-old actor, who played the role of Chandler Bing in the hit series, had spoken publicly about his addiction issues.
He was taking ketamine supervised as part of therapy sessions for depression. But this legal anesthetic is sometimes diverted for stimulating or euphoric purposes and Matthew Perry fell back into addiction in the fall of 2023, according to the investigation.
Jasveen Sangha, in the spotlight because of her jet-setter profile, had sold dozens of doses of ketamine to the actor. During a search of his home, investigators found 80 vials of ketamine, but also methamphetamine and cocaine.
When it came to ketamine, she boasted that she could “fill any order,” according to the investigation, thanks to her relationships with a “chef” and a “scientist.”
In addition to Jasveen Sangha, four other people have pleaded guilty for their involvement in Matthew Perry’s death: his personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, an intermediary, Erik Fleming, with whom Ms. Sangha worked, and two doctors accused of knowingly exploiting his addiction.
Two doctors already convicted
Dr. Salvador Plasencia was sentenced in December to 30 months in prison. He had sold the actor around twenty vials of ketamine in the weeks before his death.
The other doctor involved, Mark Chavez, supplied Dr. Plasencia with ketamine. He was also sentenced in December to eight months of house arrest and 300 hours of community service.
Both doctors were banned from practicing medicine.
Salvador Plasencia bought ketamine from Mark Chavez and sold it to Matthew Perry at exorbitant prices. “I wonder how much this idiot will pay,” the first wrote to the second in a text message unearthed by investigators.
Kenneth Iwamasa and Erik Fleming must be decided on their fate by the end of April.
A true cultural phenomenon, “Friends” was broadcast between 1994 and 2004 and propelled Matthew Perry to fame. The series recounting the adventures of a group of friends in New York left its mark on a generation of viewers.
But behind the scenes, the actor has long hidden a malaise behind his jovial character of Chandler. He struggled for a long time with his addiction to drugs and alcohol.
In his memoirs published in 2022, he confided having followed 65 withdrawal sessions, spending more than nine million dollars.
He had also undergone several surgeries related to his drug addiction problems, including a seven-hour colon surgery in 2018, going so far as to say: “I should be dead.”
During a television appearance shortly before his death, the actor surprised the audience by admitting to having suffered from severe anxiety “every night” while filming “Friends.”
