Doctor who gave Matthew Perry illegal substances jailed for 30 months

A doctor who illegally supplied Matthew Perry with an illegal substance in the weeks leading up to the actor's death in 2023 was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

- Matt Stevens

(Top) File photo of Matthew Perry; (Above) Suzanne Perry and Keith Morrison, Matthew Perry's mother and stepdad, arrive at federal court for the sentencing of Dr. Salvador Plasencia in Los Angeles, California

The doctor, Salvador Plasencia, pleaded guilty in June to four criminal counts of distribution of the substance, a powerful anaesthetic. A month before Perry's death, Plasencia texted another doctor about how much to charge Perry for it, according to court papers, writing, “I wonder how much this moron will pay” and “Lets find out.”

Perry, who played Chandler Bing on Friends and had long struggled with addiction, became increasingly reliant on the substance in the weeks before he was found unresponsive in his hot tub. The Los Angeles County medical examiner's office said his death was caused by the “acute effects” of the substance.

Plasencia, 44, who was an urgent care clinic operator in Calabasas, California, is the first person to be sentenced in connection with Perry's death. Four others have pleaded guilty in the case, including Jasveen Sangha, a dealer who prosecutors said supplied Perry with the substance that killed him.

During the sentencing, Plasencia wiped his brow repeatedly, and told the court that he had spent years trying to help people. “I failed Mr. Perry — I failed him,” he said. “I failed his family.”