Nine months after beloved Friends star Matthew Perry passed away, five people including two doctors have been arrested in relation to his death.
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On October 28, 2023, Matthew Perry was found dead by his assistant in a jacuzzi at his LA home, and California authorities have since been investigating the cause. The actor renowned for playing Chandler Bing in the hit TV series Friends was later said to have died due to “acute effects of ketamine” and subsequent drowning, as he was being treated for depression with the drug. However, on Thursday, August 15, authorities announced charges against five people in connection to Perry’s death, which includes two doctors (Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Dr. Mark Chavez), the actor’s live-in personal assistant (Kenneth Iwamasa), and Jasveen Sangha, who US prosecutors have described as the “Ketamine Queen”.
According to US Attorney Martin Estrada, the defendants “took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction issues. They knew what they were doing was wrong,” Estrada said. The attorney alleged that Plasencia and Chavez supplied Perry with ketamine while Iwamasa aided him in consuming it despite having no medical training. “Defendant Plasencia saw this as an opportunity to profit off of Mr. Perry,” Estrada said in a statement. “He wrote in a text message in September 2023, ‘I wonder how much [he] will pay?’” He also mentioned in a message that he wanted to be Perry’s sole source for the medication. Estrada added that from September to October 2023, the actor was distributed “approximately 20 vials of Ketamine” which cost him roughly US $55,000.
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The actor’s death came as a shock to his fans and castmates from Friends Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, and Lisa Kudrow. The stars released a joint statement via their representatives: “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss. In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
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