Matthew Perry's killer drug dealer is also Scarlett Johansson's director

Among the five people arrested in the investigation into Matthew Perry's overdose death were a local doctor and the actor's live-in assistant, as well as Erik Fleming, who was listed as an “acquaintance” of the TV star and accused of being a middleman in the deadly ketamine plot.

The Justice Department described Fleming's activities as those of a drug dealer who worked with Perry's assistant and Jasveen Sangha, the so-called “ketamine queen.” According to the Justice Department, “after price negotiations with [co-defendant Kenneth] Iwamasa, Fleming coordinated the drug sale with Sangha and took cash from Iwamasa to Sangha's North Hollywood hideout to purchase vials of ketamine.” At some point on October 24, 2023, four days before Perry's death, Fleming told the assistant that the ketamine was “on its way to our girl,” referring to Sangha.

Fleming, 54, pleaded guilty on Aug. 8 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. He admitted to distributing 50 vials of ketamine, half of them four days before Perry's death. Fleming faces up to 25 years in prison in his federal case.

Fleming did not respond to The Hollywood Reporter Request for comment.

Although Fleming is listed in the Justice Department file as “of Hawthorne,” there was a time when he was more active in Hollywood. He was once a director – Scarlett Johansson and Eva Mendes starred in his 1999 children's fantasy comedy. My brother the pig — and he produced the first season of the reality show The surreal life in 2003, starring Cory Feldman, Gabrielle Carteris, Vince Neil and MC Hammer. Fleming directed and produced Tyronea 1999 road trip film starring Coolio and Kevin Connolly, which was later made into Entourage.

Fleming also ran the production company Rich Hippie with Sydney Holland, one of Sumner Redstone's two partners who stole tens of millions of dollars before his death and whose legal intrigues led to the merger with ViacomCBS and arguably to Paramount Global's recent problems. (She has since moved to San Diego.)

According to a 2016 lawsuit filed by Redstone, the troubled media mogul allegedly spent an undisclosed amount to finance Rich Hippie. Fleming became executive producer in 2013.

“With his creative vision, experience and extensive contacts,” said Holland, who was then posing as CEO, THR at the time, “he is incredibly capable of carrying out our mission of developing and producing well-conceived and entertaining quality projects that appeal to a wide audience.” But Rich Hippie never made many such productions. His most notable announced project, about a Native American community's struggle with drug culture, which they executive produced with Natalie Portman, only opened in a few theaters and achieved meager box office numbers.