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5 charged in 'Friends' star Matthew Perry's death

The star, who played Chandler Bing on the hit TV sitcom from 1994-2004, was found unresponsive in his pool in October last year

Published: Thu 15 Aug 2024, 7:16 PM

Updated: Thu 15 Aug 2024, 9:51 PM

Matthew Perry. Photo: Reuters

US prosecutors said on Thursday they have charged five people, including two doctors, over the death of "Friends" star Matthew Perry, who died at his Los Angeles home last year after years of struggling with addiction.

"These defendants took advantage of Mr Perry's addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr Perry, but they did it anyway," said US Attorney Martin Estrada.

The five include two doctors and the actor's assistant.

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"In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr Perry than caring for his well-being."

One of the doctors, Salvador Plasencia, faces up to 120 years in federal prison, Estrada said.

Perry, who played the character Chandler Bing on the hit TV sitcom from 1994-2004, was found unresponsive in his swimming pool in October last year at the age of 54, sparking a global outpouring of grief from fans and colleagues.

An autopsy found the cause of his death was "the acute effects of ketamine," a controlled drug which the recovering addict was understood to be taking as part of supervised therapy.

While only small amounts were found in his stomach, a high level was detected in his bloodstream.

Just how the actor — who had reportedly not had a supervised infusion session for several days — obtained the drug became the subject of a legal investigation, with Los Angeles police confirming in May that they were probing the death.

Doctors and veterinarians often employ ketamine as an anesthetic, and researchers have explored its use as a treatment for depression. Underground users take it illicitly for its hallucinogenic effects.

"Friends," which followed the lives of six New Yorkers navigating adulthood, dating and careers, drew a massive global following and made megastars of previously unknown actors who became a fixture in the lives of millions of viewers.

One of the biggest draws was Perry's Chandler character, a sarcastic 20-something-year-old who resisted growing up.

Perry's comic talent brought him fabulous wealth, but hid a darkness that left him struggling with addiction to painkillers and alcohol.

In 2018 he suffered a burst colon, related to drug usage, and underwent multiple surgeries.

In his memoir "Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing," published in 2022, Perry described going through detox dozens of times. He dedicated the book to "all of the sufferers out there," and wrote in the prologue: "I should be dead."

"I have mostly been sober since 2001," he wrote, "save for about sixty or seventy little mishaps over the years."

His sudden death last year drew shocked reactions from Hollywood A-listers, his costars, and "Friends" fans worldwide.

"Oh boy this one has cut deep," said Jennifer Aniston, who played Rachel on the show.

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