Matthew Perry death probe: Doctor pleads guilty, 'Ketamine Queen' to face trial—a look into ‘Friends’ actor’s death case

The heartbreaking demise of Matthew Perry, known for his role as sarcastic wisecrack Chandler in the NBC sitcom Friends, in October last year left his entire fandom in tears. Matthew, who was vocal about his struggle with substance abuse, died from the acute effects of ketamine use. While no foul play was suspected initially, a probe into his death case has revealed shocking details. Since then, a total of five arrests have been made in the case, including medical doctors, Perry's assistant and an alleged dealer. In the latest, one of the two doctors charged in the overdose death has pleaded guilty.?

Matthew Perry death case: Doctor pleads guilty?

According to multiple media reports, Dr. Mark Chavez entered a guilty plea to one count of trying to distribute ketamine on Wednesday, October 2, at a hearing in federal court in Los Angeles. Chavez, appearing before US District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett, answered a series of questions before pleading guilty to illegal ketamine distribution.?

Chavez remains free on a $50,000 bond but could potentially face up to 10 years in prison at his sentencing, which was scheduled for April. He is the third of five defendants in the case to sign a plea deal with prosecutors.?

Another doctor, Ketamine Queen plead not guilty

Dr Salvador Plasencia, another physician charged in the case, has pleaded not guilty. Jasveen Sangha, the infamous "ketamine queen" who authorities said is an illicit supplier of drugs, has also pleaded not guilty in the case. Salvdaor and Jasveen are scheduled to go on trial in March 2025.?

Who else has pleaded guilty in the case??

Erik Fleming, a former film director and TV producer was described by the Department of Justice as a “street dealer” for his role in distributing illegal drugs to Perry. He delivered 50 vials of the dissociative anaesthetic to Matthew's live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, four days before his passing. According to the court filing, he admitted to obtaining the ketamine from his source, Sangha, and dispensing the drug to Matthew and Kenneth. He pleaded guilty on August 8.?

Iwamasa, Matthew's PA, plotted with Sangha, Fleming, and Plasencia to illegally obtain ketamine and distribute it to Perry. Iwamasa, who pleaded guilty on August 7, admitted to injecting Perry with ketamine despite not holding any medical license. It was also revealed that he injected multiple vials into Perry on October 28, 2023 – the day the actor died.

Matthew's struggle with substance abuse

Matthew Perry chronicled his struggle with substance abuse and anxiety in his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. He became addicted to the pain medication Vicodin, known to have addictive properties, after a jet ski accident. For the next three years, he grappled with drug and alcohol addiction, which was noticeable to his friends and colleagues.?

During the reunion special episode in 2021, the actor revealed he faced anxiety while filming Friends and felt he was having a near-death encounter every night while playing the role of Chandler in front of a live studio audience. In his decades-long battle, Perry admitted to having spent over 9 million dollars on substance abuse treatment, paying as many as 15 visits to rehab. In October 2022, he declared that he was sober.?