‘Ketamine Queen’ Will Plead Guilty In Matthew Perry Overdose Case

Jasveen Sangha, better known in pop culture as the Ketamine Queen, agreed to plead guilty Monday to selling drugs to actor Matthew Perry, who overdosed in October 2023.

The 42-year-old, who has joint citizenship in the United States and the U.K., was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine, per The Independent.

She faces up to 45 years in prison across all charges.

Sangha was one of five people charged over the actor’s death. The other primary person being investigated was Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who was charged with distributing the drug to Perry. He signed a plea deal in June.

Three other people pleaded guilty last year in exchange for their cooperation with the investigation, including making statements implicating Sangha and Plasencia, the outlet noted.

In the weeks after the “Friends” star died, it was revealed that Plasencia allegedly texted another doctor, Mark Chavez, saying, “I wonder how much this moron will pay.” Plasencia supplied Perry with 20 vials of ketamine, equal to 2,000 mg of the drug, along with ketamine lozenges and syringes in the month before his death, as The Daily Wire previously reported.

According to prosecutors, Perry paid Sangha $6,000 cash for 25 vials of ketamine four days prior to his death.

Ketamine is a medication primarily used as an anesthetic in both humans and animals. It is classified as a Schedule III controlled substance and is often used for the treatment of depression, which was Perry’s reason for using it. The 54-year-old actor had a long history of drug and alcohol abuse, which he detailed in his 2022 memoir titled “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.”

The “Friends” star was found face down in his hot tub on October 28, 2023, at his home in Pacific Palisades, California. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office determined he had drowned, but attributed his death to ketamine, which Perry had been taking as part of a therapy. The levels of ketamine found in his system were so high that they were close to the range that would be used for general anesthesia during surgery.

“At the high levels of ketamine found in his postmortem blood specimens, the main lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression,” the report said.