Why Matthew Perry was legally given Ketamine in rehab as expert slams decision
A new BBC documentary investigates the ‘Ketamine Queen’ Jasveen Sangha, a woman connected to the death of Matthew Perry due to her supply of the illegal drug.
The documentary, airing on BBC Three tonight, also examines why Friends star Perry was legally given Ketamine in rehab despite being an addict.
Perry died in October of 2023 due to the acute effects of Ketamine, being found in his Jacuzzi.
Dr Salvador Plasencia was sentenced to 30 months in jail last week over his role in supplying drugs, which ultimately led to Perry’s death - with Sangha set to be sentenced for her part in Perry’s death on December 10.
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The BBC documentary, titled Matthew Perry and the Ketamine Queen, sees Amber Haque interviewing friends and family of Sangha as well as medical and drug experts.
Perry had openly spoken for years about his battles with addiction, particularly his struggles with alcoholism and opioid abuse.
The BBC doc points to the fact that in his autobiography, Perry stated that during one of his ‘luxury rehab stints’ in Europe he was given Ketamine infusion therapy, suggesting that the synthetic form of the drug used for this ‘had his name written all over it’.
It is used in cases where people suffer from chronic pain or depression, with Perry having himself struggled with chronic pain due to an abdomen operation.
A rehab expert in the documentary, however, critiqued how it was used in Perry’s case.
Nick Matthews, who runs a rehabilitation centre in Malibu and was himself previously a ketamine user, was asked by Haque if he thought Perry being given Ketamine infusion therapy whilst in rehab was appropriate.
He said: “I can say this… I don’t believe that I would ever allow one of my residents to start ketamine therapy while they’re here. The data shows ketamine therapy can be hugely beneficial for treating depression in the right candidates.
“However, ketamine has a very high abuse potential. It is a tranquiliser and it gets you wildly high, it’s a good high it’s enjoyable. I used to abuse ketamine, so I have kind of an interesting perspective on it.
“You can build a habit you can become addicted. It’s also something that’s readily available on the street, so you could theoretically go and get a ketamine treatment, and it’s done correctly and you really liked the way it made you feel so then you get a dealer and you start doing it at your house.”
This is exactly what happened in Perry’s case as he continued attending ‘Ketamine clinics’, before eventually going to doctors to provide him with synthetic ketamine he would use at home.
After their prices began rising massively, he turned to ‘Ketamine Queen’ Sangha, who ran a ‘somewhat large drug trafficking operation catering to the Hollywood elite’, according to the DEA.
Friends of Sangha spoke in the BBC doc, with her friend Tony Marquez explaining how she would run days long parties that would be attended by Hollywood celebrities.
He said: "We would take a trip to Lake Havasu, rent a big old mansion, and we would bring our DJs, all our sound systems, and every night would be a theme night that would just be us.
“We'd get all dressed up, and we'd have a white party, a glitter party. We had a shroom-shroom party.”
He claimed these would ‘always involve’ Ketamine.
Matthew Perry and the Ketamine Queen airs on BBC Three tonight and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.
Topics: BBC, Celebrity, Drugs, Matthew Perry, TV and Film, Mental Health
Michael Slavin