The stepmom of Matthew Perry wants justice for his death.
As you know, the 54-year-old actor died in October 2023 from the acute effects of ketamine. Five people were charged in connection with his death, including a woman named Jasveen Sangha, or better known as the “Ketamine Queen,” as prosecutors dubbed her. They claimed the network of suppliers exploited Mathrew’s struggles with addiction while prioritizing profit over safety. Two doctors, Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Dr. Mark Chavez, a middleman, Erik Fleming, and the Friends star’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, accepted plea deals following their arrests.
Sangha also pleaded guilty last year to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury. In her plea agreement, she admitted she sold dozens of vials of liquid ketamine to Matthew in October 2023 through multiple transactions. Prosecutors then said she used a middleman to distribute the drugs and packaged them in unmarked containers that did not indicate their strength.
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On October 28, 2023, per the assistant’s plea agreement, he injected him multiple times and found him unresponsive in a hot tub. Matthew, as you know, sadly did not make it. Prosecutors claimed that after learning about his death, Sangha told the middleman to delete their messages and altered her encrypted communications to erase records.
As part of the plea deal, Sangha also admitted to another 2019 ketamine sale that resulted in the fatal overdose of another man. She has been in custody since her arrest in August 2024 and wants a sentence of time served since she is a first-time offender. Prosecutors want a 15-year prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release. And Matthew’s stepmother is demanding the maximum sentence for Sangha.
Debbie Perry spoke out in a victim impact statement submitted to the court on Tuesday, making the request while opening up about her and her family’s anguish since the Fools Rush In star’s death almost three years ago:
“The pain you’ve caused to hundreds maybe thousands is irreversible. There is no joy… No light in the window. They won’t be back. You caused this… You who has talent for business enough to make money chose the one way that hurts people.”
Oof. Our heart breaks for her. Debbie then begged the court to make sure Sangha could no longer harm anyone else:
“Please give this heartless woman the maximum prison sentence so she won’t be able to hurt other families like ours.”
The Ketamine Queen’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. We’ll find out if Debbie gets her wish then.
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If you or someone you know is experiencing substance abuse, help is available. Consider checking out the resources SAMHSA provides at https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline or check out StartYourRecovery.org.
[Image via MEGA/WENN]
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