Matthew Perry: Doctor charged in connection with death of Friends actor to plead guilty
One of the doctors charged in connection with the death of Friends star Matthew Perry is set to plead guilty.
Perry was found dead at his home in Los Angeles, aged 54, on 28 October last year.
The actor had been taking ketamine six to eight times a day before he died, according to court documents.
Clockwise from top left: Friends stars Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox. Pic: NBC Universal Inc/ Sky UK
Dr. Mark Chavez. Pic: LinkedIn
Five people have been charged in connection with his death.
This includes his live-in personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, a doctor named Salvador Plasencia, known as “Dr. P”, Jasveen Sangha who was referred to in documents as the “Ketamine Queen”, Eric Fleming, who it was claimed bought the drug off of Sangha, and then a second doctor Mark Chavez.
Chavez is due to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine when he appears in a federal court in Los Angeles, on Friday.
The 54-year-old from San Diego signed an agreement with prosecutors earlier this month.
Also working with the US attorney’s office are Perry’s assistant, Iwamasa, and Fleming – who both pleaded guilty to various charges.
The three are helping prosecutors as they go after their main targets, Plasencia and Sangha.
After a guilty plea, Chavez could get up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced.
Meanwhile, Plasencia pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.
Sangha, a dual US and UK citizen, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine, maintaining a drug-involved premises, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine.
He and Sangha are scheduled to return to court next week.
They have separate trial dates set for October, but prosecutors are seeking a single trial that likely would be delayed to next year.
Salvador Plasencia. Pic: Malibu Canyon Urgent Care
Kenneth Iwamasa Pic: LinkedIn
Jasveen Sangha. Pic: BFA.com/Shutterstock
‘I wonder how much this moron will pay’
When Perry died, the levels of ketamine in his body were equivalent to the amount used for general anaesthesia during surgery, according to Sky News’ US partner NBC News.
In texts written by Plasencia, he wrote: “I wonder how much this moron will pay,”, referring to Perry, prosecutors have alleged.
Court documents revealed extensive correspondence between some of the defendants as they discussed sourcing the drug for Perry.
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In a separate message, Fleming allegedly sent a picture to Iwamasa of three unmarked jars said to contain ketamine with the message: “I guarantee it’s going to be amazing.”
They would use codewords as well and refer to ketamine as “Dr Pepper”.
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Outside Jasveen Sangha’s ‘drug-selling emporium’
‘Out of control’
Ketamine has seen a huge surge in use in recent years, as a treatment for depression, anxiety, and pain.
Perry had begun taking ketamine as part of infusion therapy to treat depression and anxiety, but, according to prosecutors, had developed an “out of control” dependence on it and began sourcing unsupervised doses.
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) administrator Anne Milgram said: “Matthew Perry sought treatment for depression and anxiety and went to a local clinic where he became addicted to intravenous ketamine.
“When clinic doctors refused to increase his dosage, he turned to unscrupulous doctors who saw Perry as a way to make quick money.”
Prosecutors allege Chavez funnelled ketamine to Plasencia, securing some of the drug from a wholesale distributor through a fraudulent prescription.
In one instance, prosecutors allege that Plasencia “charged Perry $2,000 (£1,500) a vial that cost Dr Chavez approximately $12 (£9)”.
Russell Brand has been charged with rape and two counts of sexual assault between 1999 and 2005.
The Metropolitan Police say the 50-year-old comedian, actor and author has also been charged with one count of oral rape and one count of indecent assault.
The charges relate to four women.
He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday 2 May.
Police have said Brand is accused of raping a woman in the Bournemouth area in 1999 and indecently assaulting a woman in the Westminster area of London in 2001.
He is also accused of orally raping and sexually assaulting a woman in Westminster in 2004.
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Ashna Hurynag discusses Russell Brand’s charges
The fourth charge alleges that a woman was sexually assaulted in Westminster between 2004 and 2005.
Police began investigating Brand, from Oxfordshire, in September 2023 after receiving a number of allegations.
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The comedian has denied the accusations and said he has “never engaged in non-consensual activity”.
He added in a video on X: “Of course, I am now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”
Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said: “The women who have made reports continue to receive support from specially trained officers.
“The Met’s investigation remains open and detectives ask anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police.”
Tom Cruise has paid tribute to Val Kilmer, wishing his Top Gun co-star “well on the next journey”.
Cruise, speaking at the CinemaCon film event in Las Vegas on Thursday, asked for a moment’s silence to reflect on the “wonderful” times shared with the star, whom he called a “dear friend”.
Kilmer, who died of pneumonia on Tuesday aged 65, rocketed to fame starring alongside Cruise in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, playing Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, a rival fighter pilot to Cruise’s character Maverick.
Tom Cruise said ‘I wish you well on the next journey’. Pic: AP
Val Kilmer in 2017. Pic: AP
His last part was a cameo role in the 2022 blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
Cruise, on stage at Caesars Palace on Thursday, said: “I’d like to honour a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer. I can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honoured I was when he joined Top Gun and came back later for Top Gun: Maverick.
“I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us. Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with him.
“I wish you well on the next journey.”
The moment of silence followed a string of tributes from Hollywood figures including Cher, Francis Ford Coppola, Antonio Banderas and Michelle Monaghan.
Kilmer’s daughter Mercedes told the New York Times on Wednesday that the actor had died from pneumonia.
Tom Cruise at Caesars Palace on Thursday. Pic: AP
Diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, Kilmer discussed his illness and recovery in his 2020 memoir Your Huckleberry and Amazon Prime documentary Val.
He underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments for the disease and also had a tracheostomy which damaged his vocal cords and permanently gave him a raspy speaking voice.
Kilmer played Batman in the 1995 film Batman Forever and received critical acclaim for his portrayal of rock singer Jim Morrison in the 1991 movie The Doors.
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He also starred in True Romance and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, as well as playing criminal Chris Shiherlis in Michael Mann’s 1995 movie Heat and Doc Holliday in the 1993 film Tombstone.
In 1988 he married British actress Joanne Whalley, whom he met while working on fantasy adventure Willow.
The couple had two children before divorcing in 1996.
Bruce Springsteen is to release seven albums of mostly unheard material this summer.
The US singer said the songs, written and re-recorded between 1983 and 2018, were being made public after he began completing “everything I had in my vault” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a short video posted on Instagram, Springsteen said the albums were “records that were full records, some of them even to the point of being mixed and not released”.
The 83-song collection is being released in a box set called Tracks II: The Lost Albums and goes on sale on 27 June.
Some 74 of the tracks have never been heard before.
Springsteen first teased the release on Wednesday morning with a short social media video accompanied by text which said: “What was lost has been found”.
Tracks II is the follow-up to the star’s first Tracks volume, a four-CD collection of 66 unreleased songs, released in 1998.
Bruce Springsteen at New York’s Carnegie Hall at a tribute to Patti Smith last month. Pic: PA
The New Jersey-born rocker, nicknamed The Boss, last released a studio album in 2022.
Only the Strong Survive was a collection of covers, including songs by Motown and soul artists, such as the Four Tops, The Temptations, The Supremes, Frankie Wilson and Jimmy Ruffin.
The late soul legend Sam Moore, who died in January and was a frequent Springsteen collaborator, sang on two of the tracks.
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Springsteen is coming to the UK in May to launch a two-month tour of Europe with his E Street Band.
The shows will include performances at the Co-op Live in Manchester and Liverpool’s Anfield stadium.
The singer-songwriter has sold more than 140 million records since his debut on the music scene in 1973, according to his website.
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