A doctor from California and a woman accused of unlawfully providing ketamine to “Friends” actor Matthew Perry prior to his overdose death will go to trial in March, according to court documents released on Tuesday.
Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Jasveen Sangha, identified by authorities as a drug dealer dubbed the “ketamine queen,” have both pleaded not guilty to charges related to Perry’s death in October 2023.
An autopsy revealed that the 54-year-old actor’s death resulted from the “acute effects” of ketamine, along with other contributing factors that led him to lose consciousness and subsequently drown in his hot tub.
Ketamine is a fast-acting anesthetic with hallucinogenic effects, often prescribed to address depression and anxiety, but it is also misused recreationally.
Perry, who was well-known for his role as Chandler Bing on the popular 1990s sitcom “Friends,” had openly discussed his struggles with substance abuse over the years.
Plasencia and Sangha are set to be tried together in federal court in Los Angeles beginning on March 4. Additionally, three other defendants have pleaded guilty in connection with Perry’s death.