Update on Matthew Perry’s death: Doctor pleads guilty to giving him ketamine

New revelations have rocked the investigation into the death of actor Matthew Perry, star of the series ‘ 
Friends ‘, who died on October 28, 2023. One of the doctors involved in the case has agreed to plead guilty to administering ketamine without medical justification, a key twist that could be decisive in the judicial process. The American media outlet The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed the doctor’s guilty plea.

The medical professional, identified as Salvador Plasencia, is the second doctor directly linked to Perry’s death to accept responsibility before the courts. According to El Diario.es and CulturaOcio , the doctor has admitted to providing the actor with various doses of ketamine as an alternative treatment , despite the substance not being medically indicated at the time it was administered.

According to coroner’s reports, the official cause of death was an accidental ketamine overdose , aggravated by other factors such as the presence of buprenorphine, an opioid used to treat addiction. The investigation, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and California health authorities , maintains that the ketamine found in Perry’s body did not correspond to the prescribed medical regimen or normal metabolism times, which would indicate an irregular and recent supply.

El País and Lecturas highlight that the doctor faces up to 20 years in prison for illegal distribution of controlled substances resulting in death . The agreement reached with the prosecutor’s office includes a possible reduction in his sentence if he cooperates in identifying other suspects.

Matthew Perry had been open about his struggles with addiction, although he was also undergoing treatment and had claimed to be “clean” in several interviews before his death . The news of his death shocked the entertainment world, and especially fans of “Friends,” where he played the iconic Chandler Bing for a decade.

The investigation remains open, and further charges are not ruled out, especially after learning that another doctor will soon be tried for similar practices. U.S. authorities insist they seek “individual accountability” and “protect the integrity of medical treatment” against the indiscriminate use of drugs like ketamine in unsupervised settings.