Matthew Perry was administered 27 doses of ketamine in the three days leading up to his death, according to a new documentary, Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy, released on Peacock.
The Friends actor, who passed away at the age of 54 in October 2023, died from “acute effects of ketamine” in what was ruled an accidental drowning, as per his autopsy report. The documentary features US Attorney Martin Estrada, who oversaw the case before stepping down in January, stating that Perry had received the ketamine injections from “people who should have known much better.”
Authorities have charged five individuals in connection with Perry’s death, including two doctors, his live-in personal assistant, and an alleged drug dealer known as the “Ketamine Queen.” According to an indictment unsealed last August, reported by The Independent, Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, along with Erik Fleming, worked with doctors Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez to obtain large amounts of ketamine for the actor. Additionally, Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the “Ketamine Queen,” is accused of supplying the fatal dose.
On the morning of Perry’s death, Iwamasa administered the first ketamine injection at around 8:30 am The second dose was given four hours later while Perry was watching a movie at his Pacific Palisades home, and a third injection followed just 40 minutes later, as per a plea agreement Iwamasa signed. Before receiving his final dose, Perry reportedly told Iwamasa, “Shoot me up with a big one,” before instructing him to prepare the hot tub, New York Post reported.
Following the last injection, Iwamasa left to run errands, leaving Perry alone. The actor was later found unresponsive in his hot tub.
Estrada described the involvement of medical professionals in the case, stating, “Dr Plasencia was very clear in text messages… that he saw this as an opportunity to make a lot of money in a short amount of time, and he allegedly did just that.”
While some of the accused are still awaiting trial, Perry’s former assistant, Iwamasa, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death (New York Post). The joint trial for Plasencia and Sangha is scheduled for March 2025.
Estrada emphasised the shift in perspective regarding overdose cases and said, “In the past, we used to call these things overdose deaths and do more blaming of the victim. We don’t do that anymore. We blame the drug dealers, the drug sellers, for taking advantage of those addiction issues to cause death or serious injury, and that’s why we bring these cases.”