In a stunning development nearly two years after the tragic death of Friends star Matthew Perry, Dr. Salvador Plasencia—a California physician—has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of distributing ketamine, a powerful anesthetic linked to Perry’s fatal overdose in October 2023.
According to federal prosecutors, Plasencia supplied Perry with at least 20 vials of ketamine, along with lozenges and syringes, in the weeks leading up to the actor’s death.
The drug, which Perry had initially been prescribed legally for depression, was later obtained through illicit channels as his dependency deepened.
Text messages revealed during the investigation show Plasencia referring to Perry as a “moron” and discussing how much money he could extract from the actor.
The plea deal comes amid a broader investigation into a network of individuals accused of enabling Perry’s access to the drug.
Among them are Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, and another physician, Dr. Mark Chavez, both of whom have also pleaded guilty. A fifth defendant, Jasveen Sangha—dubbed the “Ketamine Queen”—is the only one still awaiting trial.
Court documents paint a harrowing picture of Perry’s final days. He was reportedly injected with ketamine multiple times a day, sometimes by his assistant, and even received doses from Plasencia in unconventional settings, including a parking lot.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled Perry’s death an accident caused by the acute effects of ketamine, with contributing factors including drowning and heart disease.
Plasencia now faces up to 40 years in federal prison.
His plea marks a significant moment in the ongoing reckoning over how celebrities access powerful drugs under the guise of medical treatment—and the ethical failures that can follow.
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