Matthew Perry's death: Doctor pleads guilty to providing ketamine to "Friends" actor

Known for his portrayal of Chandler Bings in the famous series, the American actor was found unconscious in his jacuzzi in October 2023.

"Dr. P." pleads guilty. The American doctor, suspected of supplying drugs to actor Matthew Perry, appeared in federal court in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 23. Salvador Plasencia faces four counts of ketamine distribution.

"Dr. Plasencia feels deep remorse for the treatment decisions he made in providing ketamine to Matthew Perry. He fully accepts his responsibility by pleading guilty to drug distribution," his lawyer, Karen Goldstein, said in a statement quoted by Rolling Stone magazine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 3 and faces up to 40 years in prison.

The death of Matthew Perry , found unconscious in his hot tub in October 2023, shocked fans of the series and sparked a flood of tributes in Hollywood. The actor had spoken publicly about his addiction problems.

Known for his portrayal of Chandler Bings on Friends , Matthew Perry was taking ketamine under supervision in therapy sessions for depression. But the legal anesthetic is sometimes misused for stimulant or euphoric purposes, and he relapsed into addiction in the fall of 2023, according to federal prosecutors. This relapse pushed him into the clutches of "unscrupulous" doctors, according to authorities.

In total, five suspects are being prosecuted for their involvement in the actor's death. A second Los Angeles doctor, Mark Chavez , has already admitted to illegally helping to supply ketamine to the Friends star.

The other defendant at the center of the case is Jasveen Sangha, a drug dealer known in Hollywood as the "Queen of Ketamine." The 41-year-old British-American sold the bottle of ketamine that killed the actor and faces life imprisonment. She has pleaded not guilty. Matthew Perry's personal assistant and an intermediary have agreed to plead guilty.