The final days of actor Matthew Perry’s life were marked by a desperate search for ketamine, culminating in his death on October 23, 2023. The 54-year-old 'Friends' star died from acute effects of the surgical anaesthetic, according to federal court documents and a medical examiner’s investigation. His personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who procured the drugs and administered injections, was sentenced after a 2½-year investigation.
In September 2023, Perry asked Iwamasa to help him obtain illegal ketamine, supplementing legal treatments he was receiving for depression. On September 30, Dr Salvador Plasencia met Perry and Iwamasa at their Pacific Palisades home, having been alerted by a patient about a wealthy individual willing to pay for the drug. Plasencia texted a doctor friend, Mark Chavez, who agreed to supply it. 'I wonder how much this moron will pay,' Plasencia wrote. He later returned to Perry’s residence, where Iwamasa paid $4,500 in cash for four vials, and Plasencia administered two injections while instructing Iwamasa on the technique.
Over the following weeks, the supply chain expanded. By October 2, Iwamasa was using the code 'dr pepper' to request more ketamine. On October 4, he injected Perry independently for the first time, texting Plasencia that he had found 'the sweet spot' but needed more. Plasencia then sought to become Perry’s 'go-to' supplier. On October 8, he sold four more vials for $6,000 in a Santa Monica car park. Two days later, Iwamasa drove Perry to a Long Beach parking lot for another injection from Plasencia. That same day, Perry sought alternative sources, leading to Erik Fleming, a drug counsellor who introduced him to Jasveen Sangha, known as 'The Ketamine Queen'.
On October 13, Perry tried a sample of Sangha’s ketamine and requested 25 vials, paying $5,500. Fleming delivered them the next day. By October 20, Perry had his last legal ketamine treatment. On October 23, Iwamasa paid $6,000 for 25 more vials, which included the fatal dose. That day, around 8:30 a.m., Iwamasa administered an injection using syringes from Plasencia and ketamine from Sangha. After Perry played pickleball, Iwamasa gave him a second shot at 12:45 p.m., and a third at about 1:30 p.m. while Perry was in or near his backyard Jacuzzi. 'Shoot me up with a big one,' Perry instructed. Iwamasa then left to run errands.
At around 4 p.m., Iwamasa returned to find Perry face down in the Jacuzzi. Paramedics pronounced him dead minutes later. When questioned by police, Iwamasa initially failed to mention the illegal ketamine. An autopsy report released on December 15 confirmed the cause of death. Plasencia, Chavez, Fleming, and Sangha have all faced legal proceedings in connection with Perry’s death.
