Doctor to plead guilty to giving Matthew Perry ketamine before fatal overdose

Salvador Plasencia faces up to 40 years behind bars

Internationally beloved for playing wisecracker Chandler Bing across 10 seasons of the sitcom Friends - Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and Courteney Cox rounded out the iconic onscreen friendship circle - Perry's body was found in his Pacific Palisades hot tub by his assistant on October 28, 2023.

Sky News reports that Dr. Salvador Plasencia will admit to four counts of ketamine distribution, leading to a potential 40-year jail sentence, while there are five others charged in connection with Perry's death.

In December 2023, it was ruled by the Los Angeles County medical examiner that the acute effects of ketamine, buprenorphine, drowning, and coronary artery disease caused the tragedy.

Perry had been taking the drug - most commonly used as a horse tranquilliser - for his depression, but had sought out a larger dose than normal during his final weeks.

Around a month before the actor's death, Plasencia was found by Perry, who allegedly asked Dr. Mark Chavez to supply him with the drugs he wanted.

"I wonder how much this moron will pay," Plasencia texted Chavez, according to court documents. The two medical practitioners met up that same day and passed over at least four vials of ketamine.

Plasencia sold them to Perry for $4,500 (£3,314) before allegedly asking Chavez if he could keep supplying the drugs so they could become his "go-to".

Meanwhile, an old video previously resurfaced featuring Perry speaking about how he wanted to be remembered.

On the press tour for his book Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir, he shared: "I would like to be remembered as somebody who lived well, loved well, was a seeker and his paramount thing is that he wants to help people. That's what I want."