The final days of actor Matthew Perry’s life were marked by a desperate search for ketamine, the drug that ultimately led to his death. A two-and-a-half-year investigation and prosecution concluded recently with the sentencing of his personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who procured the drugs, administered injections, and discovered Perry deceased in his hot tub on October 23, 2023. The 54-year-old "Friends" star had reportedly instructed Iwamasa to inject him "with a big one."
This account, drawn from federal court documents, a medical examiner’s investigation, and law enforcement reports, details the tragic end of Perry’s life.
The Final Month
In September 2023, Perry asked Iwamasa to help him obtain illegal ketamine. While he had been receiving legal ketamine treatments for depression, an increasingly common off-label use of the surgical anesthetic, Perry sought more. His family, who had known Iwamasa for decades, trusted him to support the actor’s sobriety.
On September 30, 2023, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, alerted by a patient about a prominent individual willing to pay significantly for ketamine, met with Perry and Iwamasa at their Pacific Palisades home. Plasencia texted a doctor friend, Mark Chavez, who agreed to supply the drug. "I wonder how much this moron will pay," Plasencia texted Chavez. Later that day, Plasencia returned to Perry’s residence, where Iwamasa paid him $4,500 in cash for four vials. Plasencia administered two injections to Perry and instructed Iwamasa on how to do so.
By October 2, 2023, Iwamasa was texting Plasencia for more ketamine, using the code "dr pepper." Plasencia delivered, gave Perry injections, and left additional vials. Two days later, on October 4, Iwamasa injected Perry independently for the first time. He texted the doctor that he had found "the sweet spot" for the needle but that trying different locations had depleted their supply, necessitating more. Plasencia then texted Chavez, inquiring if he could continue supplying the drug so they could become Perry’s "go-to."
On October 8, 2023, Plasencia sold Iwamasa four more vials of ketamine for $6,000 in cash during a late-night meeting at a Santa Monica shopping plaza. Two days later, Iwamasa drove Perry to a public parking lot in Long Beach to meet Plasencia, who sold them more ketamine and injected Perry while he sat in the car. That same day, Perry sought other sources from a friend, who directed him to Erik Fleming, a licensed drug counselor who had relapsed into addiction.
On October 11, 2023, Fleming messaged Iwamasa, stating he could obtain ketamine from a dealer he knew, Jasveen Sangha, whom prosecutors dubbed "The Ketamine Queen." Fleming noted she only dealt "with high end and celebs." The following day, Plasencia visited Perry’s house, where he was paid $21,000 in cash, some for previous ketamine purchases. During this visit, Plasencia injected Perry, causing the actor to immediately freeze up and his blood pressure to spike. Iwamasa recalled the doctor saying, "let’s not do that again."
On October 13, 2023, Perry gets a sample of Sangha’s ketamine and tries it. He and Iwamasa ask for 25 vials of it, paying Sangha $5,500 and Fleming $500. Fleming drops it off at Perry’s house a day later. Around October 20, 2023, Perry received his last legal ketamine treatment from his regular physician.
The Final Week
On October 23, Iwamasa pays $6,000 to Fleming and Sangha for 25 more vials of ketamine. This batch included the fatal dose. By October 27, 2023, with their supply coming from Sangha, Perry and Iwamasa had been out of touch with Plasencia for about two weeks. Plasencia texted Iwamasa, offering more: "I know you mentioned taking a break. I have been stocking up."
The Final Day
On October 28, 2023, around 8:30 a.m., Iwamasa administered an injection to Perry using syringes from Plasencia and ketamine from Sangha. Approximately 11 a.m., Perry played pickleball. Around 12:45 p.m., Iwamasa gave Perry his second shot of the day, after which the actor began watching a movie. At about 1:30 p.m., Iwamasa gave Perry his third and final injection of the day while Perry was in or near his backyard Jacuzzi. "Shoot me up with a big one," Iwamasa recalled Perry telling him. Iwamasa then left to run errands.
Around 4 p.m., Iwamasa returned home to find Perry face down in the Jacuzzi. Paramedics arrived minutes later and pronounced Perry dead. When questioned by police, Iwamasa initially failed to mention Perry’s illegal ketamine.
The Aftermath
On December 15, an autopsy report was released, stating that the acute effects of ketamine were the primary cause of Perry’s death, with drowning as a secondary cause. In January 2024, a search warrant was executed at Perry and Iwamasa’s home. During several interviews, Iwamasa admitted his role in Perry's illegal drug use, directing investigators to Fleming and providing information on Plasencia, whom they had already identified.
In March 2024, a search warrant was served at Fleming's sister's home, where he was staying. Fleming implicated Sangha to prosecutors and became an essential witness, alongside Iwamasa.
On August 7, 2024, Iwamasa pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, causing death, and was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison. The following day, August 8, 2024, Fleming pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death, receiving a two-year prison sentence. On October 2, 2024, Chavez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and will serve eight months of home detention. Plasencia pleaded guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine on July 23, 2025, and will receive 2 1/2 years in prison. Finally, on September 3, 2025, Sangha pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of ketamine, one count of using her home for a drug operation, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death, leading to a 15-year prison sentence. Upon learning of Perry’s death, Sangha and Fleming deleted their message history.
