The passing ofMatthew Perryshook the world when he was found dead in his L.A. home in October 2023, and now a doctor involved in the lead-up to the actor’s passing has pleaded guilty to distribution of a controlled substance. Most known for playing Chandler Bing inevery season ofFriends, Perry’s death has been confirmed to be ketamine-related.
Dr. Salvador Plasencia is the medical professional who became one of the individuals responsible for supplying Perry with ketamine, as perVariety. He did so “without a legitimate purpose.” Plasencia, 43, was aware of the formerFriendscast member and his star status at the time. On Wednesday, June 21, 2025,Plasencia entered a guilty plea on four counts of ketamine distribution.
While starring in what is one of thegreatest sitcoms in TV history, Perry quickly rose to fame in the mid-1990s. His platform resulted in the actor’s battle with addiction being relatively well-documented, and Perry himself often spoke openly about it.PBSreports that Plasencia’s attorney, Debra White, has issued a statement regarding her client, which can be read below.
“Dr. Plasencia is profoundly remorseful for the treatment decisions he made while providing ketamine to Matthew Perry. He is fully accepting responsibility by pleading guilty to drug distribution. Dr. Plasencia intends to voluntarily surrender his medical license, acknowledging his failure to protect Mr. Perry, a patient who was especially vulnerable due to addiction.”
What Salvador Plasencia’s Guilty Plea Means For The Matthew Perry Case
One Defendant Is Yet To Face Trial
The cause of Matthew Perry’s death was confirmed shortly after his passing. He didn’t live too much in the public light in the years before he died, so it was unclear how he was doing in his battle against drug addiction.
Dr. Plasencia had been prescribing the actor the drug under the guise of it being an off-label treatment for depression. Ketamine is sometimes prescribed for certain conditions, so Perry was not the first person to receive the drug in this context.
A message was presented as evidence during the trial that revealed Plasencia said to a fellow doctor, also a defendant in the case: “I wonder how much this moron will pay [for ketamine]… Let’s find out.” He also administered a dose to Perry that brought on worrying side effects, but left another dose for the actor’s assistant to inject.
It should be made clear thatPlasencia has been confirmed not to have supplied Perry with the dose that killed himin 2023, but he did plead guilty to four counts of distribution that took place in the lead-up to the actor’s overdose. Other figures also supplied Perry with Ketamine. Jasveen “The Ketamine Queen” Sangha remains the case’s lone defendant, and she has pleaded not guilty.
The doctor took a plea deal in June 2025. It involved him pleading guilty to four charges of distribution associated with Perry’s case. In return,additional charges against Plasencia were dropped, which included more counts of distribution and the falsification of medical records.
Plasencia had already been prevented from prescribing controlled substancesbefore his trial as a result of the investigation into his involvement with Perry’s death. Now, he is surrendering his medical license. The maximum length of time he can spend in jail after supplyingMatthew Perrywith ketamine is 40 years, but it’s unlikely he will serve a sentence that long.
