Matthew Perry's untimely demise from an overdose strikes like a devastating blow to the core. A poignant new Peacock documentary titled, "Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy," unravels the meteoric rise to fame of the beloved 'Friends' star, interwoven with his lifelong, relentless struggle with addiction. Despite the optimism conveyed in his 2022 bestseller, 'Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing,' which hinted at overcoming the darkest depths of his dependency on drugs and alcohol, the 54-year-old actor's life was tragically cut short by a ketamine overdose on October 28, 2023.
This poignant hour-long special delves deeply into the harrowing final months and days of Perry's life, leading up to his tragic demise in a hot tub. It vividly recounts how he resorted to the dissociative anesthetic, commonly misused for its hallucinogenic properties despite being prescribed off-label for depression treatment. This harrowing sequence of events culminated in a criminal investigation that saw five individuals being apprehended.
The documentary reveals that Perry had received an astonishing 27 injections of ketamine in his final three days, far exceeding the scope of his legitimate ketamine therapy prescribed for anxiety and depression. Martin Estrada, the former U.S. attorney who oversaw the case until his resignation in January, lambasts the arrested individuals – comprising two physicians, an alleged drug dealer, and Perry's live-in personal assistant – as "those who ought to have known better."
Two individuals among them, Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Jasveen Sangha, have entered pleas of not guilty. Dr. Plasencia, who reportedly administered the drug to Perry in a dimly lit parking lot and derogatorily labeled the star a "moron" in a text message, stands accused. Sangha, known as the notorious "Ketamine Queen," allegedly supplied Perry with the lethal dosage. Both are set to face trial on March 4 in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the remaining trio—Dr. Mark Chavez, Perry's assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, and acquaintance Erik Fleming—have admitted guilt and are collaborating with prosecutors. They await their sentencing in April (for Chavez and Fleming) and May (for Iwamasa).
Here's a deeper dive into the revelations unearthed in the documentary. In September and October 2023, Plasencia is said to have procured fraudulent ketamine prescriptions from Chavez, driven by an insatiable "greed." They allegedly charged Perry an exorbitant sum of $55,000 for 20 vials of a drug that should have cost only $12 per vial. In a text to Chavez, Plasencia jestingly pondered, "I wonder how much this moron will pay," according to the indictment.
"Dr. Plasencia's texts were unequivocal," Estrada revealed. "He saw this as a golden opportunity to rake in a fortune in a blink of an eye, and he apparently succeeded in doing just that." In a Long Beach, California, parking lot, Plasencia supposedly administered a massive dose of ketamine to Perry in the confines of a car. The overdose caused Perry to stiffen, his blood pressure soaring dangerously high. Despite this, Plasencia allegedly continued to administer ketamine to Perry and even handed the syringe to Iwamasa, who lacked any medical training, to inject into Perry.
Plasencia faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distributing ketamine, and altering and falsifying documents or records pertaining to the federal probe into Perry's demise. "Doctors are not supposed to inject patients in secluded parking lots," Estrada emphasized. "A seasoned physician like Dr. Plasencia knew better. A recurring theme in our indictment is that all these defendants should have known better. They exploited an individual and allowed their greed to put Mr. Perry's life in peril."
When Iwamasa, acting on Perry's behalf, sought more ketamine than Plasencia could provide, he introduced Iwamasa to Fleming. Fleming, a former film director working at a rehabilitation facility, acted as the intermediary between Iwamasa and Sangha. Sangha allegedly sold Perry 50 vials of ketamine, including the fatal dose, in his final fortnight, charging $11,000. When authorities raided her home, they found ketamine, cocaine, Xanax, methamphetamine pills, drug ledgers, and scales. She is charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine, maintaining a premises for drug activities, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and ketamine, and five counts of distributing ketamine.
Sangha is also accused of selling ketamine to Cody McLaury, who fatally overdosed in 2019. Perry's case has shed light on McLaury's tragic demise, casting a haunting parallel between the two fatalities.
In bygone days, we would have labeled such incidents as overdose fatalities, often placing the blame squarely on the deceased, noted Estrada. "But those days are over. Nowadays, we hold accountable the drug dealers and traffickers who exploit addiction, leading to death or grievous bodily harm—this is the essence of our cases. The profound lesson from this particular case underscores that when individuals engage in reckless conduct, be it drug trafficking or otherwise, resulting in the loss of life, accountability must ensue."
David Feifel, a psychiatrist and the medical director at Kadima Neuropsychiatry Institute, emphasized the critical need for rigorous medical supervision when it comes to ketamine use. He cited a grave error in judgment: Iwamasa, who administered a staggering 27 doses of ketamine to Perry in his final three days, Neglected to properly monitor him, instead leaving him unattended in a hot tub while running errands. "The immediate priority should have been to monitor his vital signs," emphasized Feifel, "but more crucially, they should have ensured he was far from any potential harm. In a state of disinhibition, one risks self-harm."
Perry, before succumbing to his fate, had posted a picture of himself soaking in the very hot tub where his life later took a tragic turn. Iwamasa, who had worked alongside Perry for decades, found himself entangled in a complex dynamic. Jennifer O’Neill, a former personal assistant to Lady Gaga and an interviewee for the documentary, offered insights into how things escalated. "Ken lived and worked with him around the clock. Personal relationships blur boundaries," she explained. "When your boss asks for something you're uncomfortable with, it becomes a matter of livelihood. Say no, and someone else will step in who won't. It's easy to judge Ken harshly, but had I been in his shoes, I'd be horrified too."
Perry penned his 2020 memoir as a beacon for fellow addicts. His TV mom from 'Friends,' Fairchild, hailed him for his bravery in opening up about his addiction struggles starting in the early 2000s. "I was immensely proud of him," she expressed. "In this industry, acknowledging a problem is difficult, and I thought he showed immense courage… Despite his own pain, he reached out to others."
Fairchild further added that Perry's legacy "will resonate as one of hope, joy, friendship, and love."
