The rehab counsellor Erik Fleming has been jailed for two years for supplying Matthew Perry with ketamine before his death.
The 54-year-old Friends star was found unresponsive in a hot tub in his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023. He was later pronounced dead, with his death being attributed to the acute effects of ketamine, and drowning and coronary artery disease listed as other factors.
Five people were charged in connection with Perry’s death in August 2024, including doctors Mark Chavez and Salvador Plasencia, the actor’s assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, Jasveen Sangha, the drug dealer also known as the “Ketamine Queen”, and Fleming.
Fleming pleaded guilty in 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death, admitting in court documents that he distributed the ketamine that killed Perry. He also said he obtained the drug from Sangha and distributed 50 vials to Iwamasa, half of them four days before Perry’s death.
Fleming was sentenced to two years in prison in a federal court in Los Angeles. He submitted a letter to the court ahead of sentencing, saying he had also struggled with addiction in his life, and he felt “overwhelmed with grief and shame” when he learned that Perry had died.
“I knew what I had done and understood how much pain his death would cause to the people who loved him,” he wrote. “To Matt’s family, I am very sorry for my inexcusable behaviour in this case.
“I take full responsibility for my criminal acts. I hope my sentence provides some measure of justice and peace for everyone who loved Matt. It’s truly a nightmare I can’t wake up from. I’m haunted by the mistakes I made.”
Fleming said he was “in the midst of a relapse” in October 2023 and “desperate” for money. He also gave up Sangha to authorities as soon as he was arrested, and it is thought he would have received a four-year sentence had he not co-operated with the investigation.
Last month, Sangha was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with prosecutors alleging that after learning she had sold the drugs that caused Perry’s death, she “didn’t care and kept selling”.
Following news of his passing, Perry’s Friends co-stars Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow shared touching individual tributes to the late actor on their respective Instagram pages.
For help, advice or more information regarding addiction in the UK, visit the FRANK website. In the US, visit SAMHSA.
