Five people have been arrested and charged with playing a role in the actor’s death. News24h
The creator of the hit sitcom Friends has spoken out following the arrests of five people in relation to Matthew Perry’s death.
Matthew Perry passed from acute effects of ketamine. Credit: Gotham / Getty
On October 28, 2023, it was announced that one of the world’s most beloved actors Matthew Perry, had tragically passed away after emergency responders discovered the 54-year-old unresponsive at his Los Angeles residence.
Authorities arrived at the scene around 4:00PM, revealing that Perry was found in an unresponsive state in a hot tub and they were not able to resuscitate him.
An investigation into the matter led to the conclusion that Perry succumbed to “the acute effects of ketamine” while further details revealed that he had been undergoing ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety before his passing.
Five people have now been arrested in connection with Perry’s death. Credit: Mike Marsland / Getty
The medical examiner ruled the manner of death as an accident, noting that “high levels of ketamine [were] found in his postmortem blood specimens.”
Drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine were also listed as contributing factors.
Months after the LAPD launched an investigation into what led to Perry’s death, five people have been arrested and charged with playing a role in the actor’s death.
Salvador Plascencia, a doctor, was apprehended along with fellow medical professional, Mark Chavez. Perry’s longtime assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, alleged street dealer Erik Fleming, and Jasveen Sangha, the “Ketamine Queen of Los Angeles,” have also been charged for their involvement.
It was said that those who have been arrested “took advantage” of Perry’s vulnerability and knew of his addiction issues while supplying him with lethal doses of the drug.
Matthew Perry passed away at the age of 54 on October 28, 2023. Credit: David M. Benett / Getty
In the wake of the news of the arrests, Friends creator Marta Kauffman has spoken out, urging fans to remember Perry for the man he was and not the condition in which he died.
“He is the one I had the most contact with,” she recalled during an interview with The Times. “About two weeks before [he died] he and I were FaceTiming and he seemed really good.”
When referring to ways that fans could celebrate the late 54-year-old, she added: “Two things come to mind: one of them is to donate to drug treatment centers – let’s fight the disease.
“And the second way is to watch Friends and remember him not as a man who died like that but as a man who was hilariously funny and brought joy to everybody,” she added.
It comes shortly after Perry’s step-father Keith Morrison said in a statement: “We were and still are heartbroken by Matthew’s death, but it has helped to know law enforcement has taken his case very seriously.
“We look forward to justice taking its course and we’re grateful for the exceptional work of the multiple agencies whose agents investigated Matthew’s death.
“We’re hoping unscrupulous suppliers of dangerous drugs will get the message,” he added.
