Today, August 19, 2025, would have marked the 56th birthday of the beloved Friends star, Matthew Perry, forever remembered as ‘Chandler Bing’. Since his death in October 2023, this day stands as a haunting reminder of how Matthew’s life became what would have been ‘Chandler’s’ worst nightmare: dying alone, with no one by his side in his final moments. For billions of fans worldwide, the grief of Matthew’s death remains as fresh as the day the news broke.
Ever since it’s been confirmed that Perry’s death was not by natural causes but involved a web of exploitation and illegal drug supply, the tragedy has taken on an even darker dimension. Prosecutors allege that the people he trusted around him, including doctors and even his long-time assistant and a ‘Ketamine Queen’, enabled his relapse, as they exploited the recovering drug addict for profit over his life.
However, in a silver lining, just before what would have been his 58th birthday, prosecutors confirmed that Jasveen Sangha, the infamous ‘Ketamine Queen’ of North Hollywood, has pleaded guilty to supplying the ketamine that killed Matthew Perry. Her admission makes her the fifth and final suspect held accountable. With this, we revisit the heart-wrenching plot of Perry’s death and the betrayal of his trust.
The final days of Matthew Perry
On October 28, 2023, the world was left stunned when Matthew Perry, best known as ‘Chandler Bing’ from the sitcom Friends, was found dead in his Pacific Palisades home, floating face-down in his hot tub. At first, many believed his passing might have been due to natural causes, given his long history of health issues. However, autopsy reports and further investigations soon uncovered a far more sinister truth: Perry’s life had been cut short by a lethal dose of ketamine in his blood, supplied and administered by the very people he should have been able to trust.
Inside the web of betrayal and alleged cover-ups in Matthew Perry’s death case
Image Courtesy: ABC News
Investigations into Matthew Perry’s death have not only revealed a tragic overdose but also a disturbing web of lies, exploitation, and attempted cover-ups by those closest to him. Investigation unravelled how five individuals, including two of Perry’s doctors, his personal assistant, a middleman (Erik Fleming) and Jasveen Sangha, the so-called ‘Ketamine Queen’, allegedly enabled his relapse and later tried to hide their tracks.
After Matthew Perry’s death, Sangha and Fleming allegedly tried to cover their tracks, reportedly deleting all ‘signal’ messages that showed they had sold ketamine to Perry. Fleming even texted Sangha:
“Please call… Got more info and want to bounce ideas off you. I’m 90% sure everyone is protected. I never dealt with [Perry], only his assistant. So the assistant was the enabler.”
After Matthew Perry was found unresponsive in his hot tub, his live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, allegedly cleared the scene by deleting evidence of deals. In his plea, Iwamasa admitted that in Perry’s final days, he injected him six to eight times daily.
Two doctors who profited from Matthew Perry’s addiction
In his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Matthew Perry opened up about his decades-long battle with addiction, which began in 1997 after a jet ski accident on the set of Fools Rush In. After being prescribed Vicodin, he had started depending on prescription drugs.
Investigations uncovered two doctors, Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez, who worked to supply ketamine to Matthew Perry. About a month before the actor’s death, Plasencia learned that Perry was interested in purchasing ketamine. Court documents state that he contacted Chavez, and they saw this as an opportunity to profit from Perry. In a text message from September 2023, Plasencia wrote:
“I wonder how much this moron will pay?”
Instead of helping Perry manage his health and recovery, the doctor duo allegedly fuelled his dependency, ignoring the risks. Plasencia allegedly purchased ketamine from Chavez and sold vials of it to Perry’s assistant, Iwamasa, even teaching him how to administer the drugs.
Prosecutors revealed that from September to October 2023, Perry was given ‘approximately 20 vials of Ketamine’, with supply from Jasveen Sangha, aka the ‘Ketamine Queen’, who ran what could only be called a ‘drug-selling emporium’ in her home.
What happened on the day of Matthew Perry’s death?
Charges revealed that during the final week of Perry’s life, Imawasa, whom the Friends actor trusted with medicines, injected him with at least 21 shots of ketamine. On October 28, 2023, on the day of Perry’s death, Iwamasa allegedly ‘performed multiple injections’ on him.
According to Iwamasa’s plea agreement, he injected Perry at 8:30 a.m. and again at 12:30 p.m. on the day of his death. About 40 minutes later, Perry asked Iwamasa to prepare a jacuzzi and allegedly said:
“Shoot me up with a big one.”
Just before Perry’s 56th birthday, Jasveen Sangha’s admission of the guilty plea makes her the fifth and final suspect held accountable in the case. This closes a painful chapter in the long investigation, while also highlighting just how deeply Perry had been betrayed by the very people he trusted with his life.
Remembering Matthew Perry, the star who loved deeply, made billions laugh, and died alone
For billions of fans worldwide, Matthew Perry was more than just the beloved ‘Chandler Bing’. He was a man who spoke candidly about his struggles with addiction, used his platform to raise awareness and help others, and yearned for a life defined by more than his iconic Friends role. Now, on his second birthday since his passing, the ‘Ketamine Queen’s guilty plea brings a bittersweet closure to his tragic death.
While nothing can bring Matthew Perry back, the guilty pleas ensure those who exploited him face justice. On a day that should celebrate his life, fans instead are left mourning his tragic end. His story remains a cautionary tale of fragile recovery and the devastating cost of betrayal.
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