Matthew Perry's assistant spent a dizzying amount on ketamine before the actor's tragic death

Matthew Perry's tragic death at the age of 54 shocked fans around the world, and new details have emerged about the disturbing events that led to the actor's death. It has been revealed that Matthew and his live-in assistant Kenny Iwamasa spent a staggering $55,000 on vials of ketamine and corresponding injections in the 29 days leading up to his fatal overdose on October 28, 2023.

The actor, best known for his role as Chandler Bing in Friends, was struggling with mental health issues and was seeking relief through ketamine treatments – a powerful anesthetic that is increasingly being used outside of its approved indications to treat depression.

According to court documents, Kenny sent a flood of text messages to suppliers desperately seeking more of the drug for Matthew and even engaged in illegal transactions to obtain it.

Kenny, one of five people arrested earlier this month in connection with Matthew's death, was instrumental in obtaining the drug and administering it to the actor, often in dangerously high doses.

One particularly disturbing incident, detailed in the legal documents, involved a meeting between Matthew, Kenny and Dr. Salvador Plasencia in a parking lot.

There, Matthew received another ketamine injection – one of many that Dr. Plasencia gave him in the weeks before his death.

© Frederick M. Brown

Court documents state that Dr. Plasencia injected Matthew with ketamine several times at home, once giving him double the dose in a matter of hours, causing the actor's blood pressure to rise to dangerous levels. Matthew was unable to speak or move, a clear indication of the severity of his condition.

The timeline of events paints a disturbing picture of a man desperately in need of help, surrounded by people who either cannot or will not give it to him. On September 30, Matthew and Kenny met with Dr. Plasencia at her home in Pacific Palisades, where Matthew was receiving ketamine treatment for depression.

Although the treatments showed some success, it became clear that Matthew's cravings for more of the drug were getting out of control. Unable to get the amount he wanted from his primary care doctor, Dr. Plasencia obtained additional ketamine from a colleague in San Diego, Mark Chavez, who agreed to supply the drug.

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Text messages between Dr. Plasencia and Chavez reveal a disturbing lack of concern for Matthew's well-being. For example, after obtaining four vials of ketamine, Plasencia texted Chavez, “I wonder how much this idiot is going to pay.” The doctor later returned to Matthew's house, where Kenny paid him $4,500 in cash for the vials. Plasencia then injected Matthew twice and instructed Kenny on how to self-administer the drug.

As the days went by, the situation worsened. On October 2, Kenny texted Dr. Plasencia asking for more ketamine and to leave him more vials of the drug. Plasencia complied with his request and the vicious cycle continued as Kenny gave Matthew more and more injections.

On October 10, Kenny drove Matthew to a public parking lot in Long Beach, where they met Dr. Plasencia and administered another injection while Matthew sat in the car. The drug was obtained not only from Plasencia, but also from other suppliers, including Erik Fleming and a woman known as the “ketamine queen,” Jasveen Sangha.

Towards the end of October, Matthew's situation went from bad to worse. On October 12, Dr. Plasencia visited Matthew at home and received $21,000 in cash for more ketamine. The injection he administered that day left Matthew frozen and his blood pressure rising dangerously high. Dr. Plasencia reportedly told Kenny, “We're not doing that again,” but the warnings went unheeded.

On October 28, the day of Matthew's death, Kenny administered three individual ketamine injections, the last one shortly before 1:30 p.m. while Matthew was sitting in his backyard hot tub.

© David M. Benett

According to Kenny, Matthew's last words were, “Punch me a big one.” When Kenny got home around 4 p.m., he found Matthew face down in the hot tub. Despite his efforts to resuscitate the actor and the quick response of paramedics, Matthew was pronounced dead at the scene.

The coroner's report later revealed that ketamine was the primary cause of Matthew's death, while drowning was listed as a secondary cause of death. The chilling details of Matthew's final days highlight the dangers of uncontrolled drug use, even when it is intended to treat serious mental health issues.

The impact of Matthew's death was significant. Several arrests were made in connection with his death. Kenny pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine, while Erik Fleming pleaded guilty to distribution of the drug that caused death. Both men are cooperating with prosecutors in the ongoing investigation. Meanwhile, Dr. Plasencia and Jasveen Sangha, the main targets of the investigation, have pleaded not guilty to several counts.