On April 8, 2026, the Perry family got the justice they’d been waiting for: The dealer who supplied the drugs that took Matthew Perry’s life was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Jasveen Sangha, known among Hollywood as the “Ketamine Queen,” is the third defendant who has been linked to Matthew Perry’s overdose death back in 2023. However, she is the first whose plea included a real acknowledgement of causing Matthew Perry’s death. She stood at the podium in court and said:
“These were not mistakes. They were horrible decisions which shattered people’s lives and the lives of their family and friends.”
Ketamine: The Cause of Matthew Perry’s Death
On October 28, 2023, beloved Friends actor Matthew Perry fatally overdosed on drugs at the age of 54. He was found in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home. Despite an apparent drowning, investigators later determined that his death was primarily caused by the drug ketamine, which is typically used as a surgical anesthetic in medical settings. According to the autopsy report, it was specifically the “acute effects of ketamine” that led to cardiovascular overstimulation, respiratory depression, and an accidental overdose.
When abused at high doses, ketamine can cause overdose as well as a range of symptoms, including sedation, detachment from reality, dissociation from one’s body/environment, distorted senses, and hallucinations. For some users, these effects can be euphoric and serve as an escape. For others, they can cause significant overstimulation and panic.
Matthew Perry had been using ketamine for some time leading up to his death, despite a stretch of sobriety just one year prior. Sources say he used the drug to alleviate his struggles with depression. Ketamine is not a traditional antidepressant, but can provide fast relief from suicidal ideation and other depressive symptoms. However, it requires medical supervision due to its severe side effects.
Who Was Involved in Matthew Perry’s Overdose?
According to the hearing on April 8th, there were five people providing Perry with ketamine in the months before his overdose. All of them, including Sangha, agreed to plead guilty.
Jasveen Sangha, the “Ketamine Queen,” was found to be the supplier of the drugs that specifically caused Matthew Perry’s overdose. She worked with another dealer to provide the actor with dozens of vials of ketamine, including the dose that took his life.
While under investigation, Sangha was found to have an elaborate drug operation running out of her North Hollywood home. In addition to ketamine, she sold methamphetamine, cocaine, and Xanax to wealthy and well-connected clients like Perry.
Jasveen Sangha sold the drugs to Eric Fleming, another drug dealer, who then sold them to Perry. Fleming is scheduled to be sentenced in June.
And the person who administered the ketamine? It was not a doctor, but Matthew Perry’s assistant and friend, Kenneth Iwamasa. According to the Department of Justice, “Leading up to Perry’s death, Iwamasa repeatedly injected Perry with the ketamine that Sangha supplied to Fleming. Specifically, on October 28, 2023, Iwamasa injected Perry with at least three shots of Sangha’s ketamine, which caused Perry’s death.” Iwamasa is also awaiting final sentencing.
Two others have been sentenced in connection to Perry’s death, too: Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who supplied Perry with ketamine in the weeks before his death, and Dr. Mark Chavez, who obtained ketamine for Perry through a fraudulent prescription. Chavez sold the drugs to Plasencia, who then supplied them to the actor, to help treat depressive symptoms.
Both doctors are serving shorter sentences than Sangha. Sangha has a long history of dealing drugs, as well as a long list of high-end clients, suggesting that her criminal history extends beyond this one case. In fact, one of her previous clients, 33-year-old Cody McLaury, fatally overdosed just hours after buying drugs from her in 2019.
Substance Addiction: The Root of It All
It’s no secret that Matthew Perry struggled with substance addiction throughout his life. And, as we’ve already discussed, he also battled depression – a mental health disorder that very commonly co-occurs with substance abuse.
Perry’s addiction started at a young age. He was introduced to alcohol by age 14, and in his twenties, became dependent on painkillers after an accident that led him to Vicodin. He would take his prescription but require more and more of the drug to feel its effects.
He explained to The New York Times: “I would fake back injuries. I would fake migraine headaches. I had eight doctors going at the same time.” There was a point during his Friends career where the actor was using 55 Vicodin pills a day just to stay afloat.
And when the actor began struggling with depression, it became an all too familiar story. According to PBS, Perry started using ketamine under the supervision of his primary doctor, as a legal off-label therapy for depression. But he eventually sought more than what the doctor could provide. This led him to Dr. Plasencia, who is now serving time for selling ketamine to Perry illegally.
Read more about Perry’s struggles with addiction here.
In court, the attorney of Jasveen Sangha, Mark Geragos, blamed Perry’s “pernicious” addiction as the primary cause of his death, not the drug dealer. Geragos said, “There was nobody who was going to stop Mr. Perry from doing what he was going to do.”
While there may be some truth to this statement, the fact is that addiction is a chronic disease — not a moral failing or a lack of willpower. Especially when it co-occurs with mental health conditions like depression, substance addiction alters brain chemistry, impairs judgment, and makes it extraordinarily difficult to stop without proper support. It requires ongoing, evidence-based care, not blame.
Reducing Matthew Perry’s death to his addiction alone oversimplifies a much more complex reality. Substance use disorders (the formal term for addiction) are shaped by a combination of biological factors, mental health challenges, access to care, and a support system (or lack thereof). While an ongoing battle with addiction and depression led Perry to this point, we must execute compassion. We must also hold others accountable to prevent future substance abuse problems and overdose deaths.
At its core, Matthew Perry’s death is a reminder that people living with addiction deserve comprehensive treatment, ethical medical oversight, and support systems that don’t fail them when they are most vulnerable. Understanding, intervention, and responsible care are ultimately what can prevent addiction and overdose.
Keith Morrison, Perry’s stepfather, left us with a reminder of the complexity of addiction during April’s hearing. “Matthew was funny and brilliant and sad and miserable and happy and generous and kind and infuriating in every way.” He called Matthew Perry one-of-a-kind, faced Sangha, and said, “I don’t hate you. You’re a drug dealer. You supplied an addict.”
But he then continued, “You [also] have to have a heart of stone to wake up every morning and make a business out of feeding off the addictions of vulnerable people who are desperate for drugs.”
Do you know someone struggling with addiction?
If you or your loved one is struggling with substance abuse, depression, or another mental health disorder, consider this your sign to seek help.
Matthew Perry did not want to die. Despite his struggles with depression, he expressed a vibrant sense of gratitude, hope, and resilience. But it was the dangerous side effects of drugs – specifically the drug that was meant to help his depression – that led to a tragic and unintentional overdose. And unfortunately, this is not an isolated case.
Get the help you need and deserve before it is too late. If you’re unsure who to call, know that Turnbridge is here for you. Turnbridge is a recognized mental health treatment provider for young people struggling with issues like depression and drug abuse. We are here for you – Call 877-581-1793 today.