Los Angeles—Two years after Friends star Matthew Perry drowned in his hot tub from a ketamine overdose, justice inches closer. The so-called “Ketamine Queen,” Jasveen Sangha, pleaded guilty on September 3, 2025, to all five charges tied to supplying the drug that killed the beloved actor. Fans worldwide reel as the case exposes a dark Hollywood underbelly.
Perry, 54, was found unresponsive on October 28, 2023, in his Pacific Palisades home. The Los Angeles County coroner ruled his death accidental, caused by acute ketamine effects, drowning, and coronary artery disease. No foul play at first. But a federal probe revealed a “vast underground criminal network” feeding his addiction.
Five people faced charges in August 2024: Perry’s live-in assistant Brianne Iwamasa, two doctors—Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez, and drug dealers Mark Fleming and Sangha. Prosecutors called Sangha’s home a “drug-selling emporium” with ketamine vials everywhere. She admitted to selling to Perry and causing another overdose death, too.
Guilty pleas piled up fast. Iwamasa confessed to conspiracy and faces sentencing. Chavez and Fleming also pleaded guilty. Plasencia, Perry’s “Dr. P,” was admitted to four counts of distribution in July 2025 after injecting the actor in parking lots and calling him a “moron” ripe for exploitation. On December 3, 2025, a judge sentenced Plasencia to 30 months in prison—the first official penalty.
Sangha 42 has been in jail since her arrest. Her sentencing is on December 10, 2025. She faced nine counts originally but cut a deal before trial. Prosecutors say she supplied the fatal batch. Perry’s blood had sky-high ketamine levels, way above therapy doses.
Perry’s story grips Hollywood. Friends made him Chandler Bing, the sarcastic king who charmed millions from 1994 to 2004. Reruns still rule. But addiction haunted him since a 1996 jet ski crash. His raw 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, detailed rehab stints, overdose, and a coma. “I’m predicting my own death,” he seemed to warn.
Tributes flooded in. HBO Max added “In Memory of Matthew Perry” to every Friends season and the reunion special. NBC mourned his “impeccable comedic timing.” Stars like Selma Blair and Hank Azaria shared memories. Peacock’s February 2025 doc Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy uses his memoir voice-overs to trace fame’s trap and ketamine’s pull.
Perry’s legacy fights addiction. His foundation helps others. A November 2025 video hailed his global joy. London fans lit tributes on his death anniversary. Co-stars stayed quiet at first but honored him privately.
This case shocks. Doctors betrayed trust. Assistant enabled. Dealers profited. Perry sought relief from pain and depression via ketamine, legal for some treatments but deadly here. Investigations exposed how stars get hooked in shadows.
Fans ask: Could this save lives? Sentencings loom. Hollywood watches. Perry’s laugh echoes on screen, but his warning rings louder. Addiction claims no favorites, not even Chandler.
