'Ketamine Queen' to stand trial over Friends star Matthew Perry's death as court date set

A woman accused of supplying the fatal dose of ketamine that killed Friends star Matthew Perry is due to stand trial in Los Angeles next month.

Jasveen Sangha, 42, allegedly known among clients as the “Ketamine Queen”, is the sole defendant headed to court in connection with the actor’s sudden death of the 54-year-old. Four others, including the Friends' star's personal assistant and his doctor, have struck plea deals with prosecutors.

Sangha, who denies all charges, faces five counts of ketamine distribution, including one count of distribution resulting in death. A judge in Los Angeles has confirmed her trial will begin on 23 September, following four delays requested by her defence team to allow more time to examine evidence.

READ MORE: People call Jenna Ortega 'real Wednesday' after revealing childhood hobby

READ MORE: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's 'big risk' as 'it dawns on them what they've lost'

Prosecutors claim Sangha portrayed herself as a "celebrity drug dealer with high-quality goods" and sold Perry at least 25 vials of ketamine just days before he died in October 2023. His personal assistant admitted in court to buying the vials for $6,000 (£4,508) in cash.

A post-mortem confirmed Perry drowned in his hot tub after taking a lethal dose of ketamine, a powerful anaesthetic increasingly used in mental health treatment.

Investigators say the actor had been undergoing ketamine therapy for depression through legal prescriptions but was taking it up to eight times a day and began seeking additional supplies illicitly.

Court documents allege the actor turned to Sangha after his physician, Dr Salvador Plasencia, refused to continue prescribing high volumes of the drug.

Plasencia later pleaded guilty to distribution along with Perry’s assistant, a friend, and another doctor. None have yet been sentenced.

Perry, best known for playing Chandler Bing in the long-running sitcom Friends, had battled addiction for much of his adult life.

In his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, he wrote candidly about his decades-long struggle with substance abuse, including multiple stints in rehab and near-death experiences.

Despite setbacks, Perry had spoken openly about his hopes for recovery and his desire to help others struggling with addiction.

His sudden death in October 2023 at his home in Pacific Palisades sent shockwaves through Hollywood, and fans mourned the loss of one of television’s most beloved comic actors.

Sangha remains in custody. If convicted, she could face decades in prison.