The documentary about Matthew Perry, titled Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy, is currently available for streaming on Peacock. It delves into the ongoing investigation surrounding the death of the beloved Friends star, who tragically passed away in 2023. Perry was discovered deceased in his hot tub, having succumbed to drowning after injecting a fatal amount of ketamine. Prior to his demise, Perry had been vocal about his struggles with addiction, having even written a memoir detailing his substance abuse issues the year before his passing. Authorities are now seeking accountability from his drug suppliers in connection to his death.
The individuals accused in this case have yet to stand trial, underscoring that the assertions made by different legal representatives and law enforcement officials in the documentary have yet to be validated in a court of law. This fact is reiterated each time the documentary resumes following commercial breaks. Despite the speculative nature of the statements, the indictment levels charges against five individuals for their involvement in furnishing Perry with the ketamine that ultimately led to his demise. One particularly incriminating piece of evidence includes alleged text exchanges between two doctors overseeing Perry’s care, indicating potential exploitation of his addiction for financial gain.
Among those implicated in providing Perry with ketamine are Dr. Mark Chavez, who purportedly prescribed the substance to Perry, and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who allegedly facilitated the distribution of the drug to him. According to the indictment, law enforcement claims to have acquired some of the text messages exchanged between Dr. Chavez and Dr. Plasencia, which were reportedly communicated via the messaging platform Signal.
At one point, Dr. Plasencia apparently texted Dr. Chavez, “I wonder how much this moron will pay. Let’s find out.”
Ketamine treatment for depression and other mental disorders is legal and can be done safely, but only when administered by a medical professional in a monitored, controlled environment. It is still a controlled and addictive substance. Perry was not only receiving unmonitored ketamine doses at home (administered by his long-time live-in assistant, who was also charged in the indictment), he was also being charged exorbitant prices.
According to US Attorney Martin Estrada, one of the prosecutors in the case who is interviewed in the documentary, Perry obtained âapproximately 20 vials of Ketamineâ that cost him roughly $55,000. On top of that, he also obtained ketamine from another source: the so-called âKetamine Queenâ Jasveen Sangha, and an intermediary named Eric Fleming, both of whom are also charged in the indictment.
“After Mr. Perry died, you had Jasveen Sangha allegedly telling Mr. Fleming, ‘Delete all of our messages,’” Estrada said in the doc. “They knew what they did was wrong.”
In other words, officials are hoping to use the spotlight on Perry’s death to potentially target a much larger ring of drug dealers in the Los Angeles area.
Dr. Salvador Plasencia is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distribution of ketamine, and two counts of altering and falsifying documents. He pleaded not guilty. His lawyer claims Dr. Plasencia was trying to help Perry, and that he didnât know Perry was obtaining ketamine from other individuals.
Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy was directed by Robert Palumbo, and executive produced from Ian Russell, Mike Griffiths, and Palumbo from ITN Productions. The 60-minute documentary special is now streaming on Peacock.
(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&appId=823934954307605&version=v2.8”;
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));
