Matthew Perry, known for his character Chandler Bing on the hit TV sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S., was found unresponsive in his Los Angeles home in October 2023. He was 54. "We responded at 4:10 pm... It is a death investigation for a male in his 50s," a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman told AFP, without confirming the victim's name. Now, months later, US prosecutors have charged five people, including two doctors, over the death of Perry. In a ruling on Thursday, US Attorney Martin Estrada said, "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.” Now, as per The Hollywood Reporter, Erik Fleming has been charged as the point of contact between Perry and the woman called Jasveen Sangha, popularly known as "the Ketamine Queen". FYI: Erik Fleming directed the 1999 film My Brother the Pig featuring Scarlett Johansson and Eva Mendes. His involvement in the case came as a shock to all Mathew Perry fans.
According to investigators, Ms Sangha used to provide the lethal dose of ketamine that led to Perry's death. The Department of Justice said that “after discussing prices with [co-defendant Kenneth] Iwamasa, Erik Fleming coordinated the drug sales with Sangha, and brought cash from Iwamasa to Jasveen Sangha's stash house in North Hollywood to buy vials of ketamine.”
After Matthew Perry's death, his F.R.I.E.N.D.S. co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer, had released a joint statement. It read, "We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we're going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss. In time, we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty's family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."