When Friends actor Matthew Perry was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home last year, it seemed like it could have just been an accident.
He’d been treating his depression with ketamine infusion therapy, wasn’t found with drug paraphernalia or anything suggesting foul play, and appeared to have drowned.
He’d spent decades fighting addiction, but the actor had said he was finally clean.
As the world mourned the passing of the actor, known for playing Chandler Bing on Friends, a coroner found something curious: high levels of ketamine in his blood, in the range used for general anaesthesia during surgery.
It should not have still been in his system since his last therapy appointment more than a week prior.
According to US prosecutors, a nearly year-long investigation that followed uncovered an alleged vast underground ketamine dealing network, cover-up attempts and another death.
It led to five arrests – including medical doctors, Perry’s assistant and an alleged dealer they said was known locally as the “Ketamine Queen”.
His live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute ketamine causing death, and two other people – Eric Fleming and Dr Mark Chavez – also pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute drugs unlawfully.
Dr Salvador Plasencia, accused of supplying ketamine to Perry, is charged with falsifying records. Alleged dealer Jasveen Sangha faces nine counts, including conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death.
Both pleaded not guilty in court on Thursday.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
