In the month before Matthew Perry’s death, a doctor the actor contacted to acquire ketamine called him a “moron” in a text message, according to federal prosecutors.
A dealer who authorities say supplied the drug to Perry referred to him as “Chandler” — the sarcastic yet sweet-natured character he played on the hit television show “Friends,” court documents say.
Federal authorities have depicted in court filings and public statements a scheme in which medical professionals and street dealers exploited Perry, who had been open about his years-long struggle with addiction, to enrich themselves.
Five people — two doctors, an alleged drug dealer known as “Ketamine Queen,” a former film director and Perry’s live-in assistant — have been charged in a conspiracy to distribute ketamine, an anesthetic, to the actor.
Prosecutors laid out a criminal case against the defendants. But experts familiar with addiction treatment say the picture of drug use alleged in court papers followed an all too common path: an addict is desperate for a fix and those supplying the drug are happy to maintain the business.
“People can be victimized because they are really highly motivated to seek that substance and nothing else is going to satisfy them,” said Jessica Borelli, a professor of psychological science at UC Irvine.
Perry was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on Oct. 28. Authorities later determined he had died from acute effects of ketamine.
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said during a news conference this month that those charged in the case “cared more about profiting off of Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being.”
“Drug dealers selling dangerous substances are gambling with other people’s lives over greed,” he said.Federal prosecutors said Perry started ketamine therapy at a local clinic, where he had sought treatment for depression and anxiety. Ketamine use for depression is a relatively new therapy, but some medical professionals who spoke to The Times say it shows promising results when administered correctly.While the most frequently used antidepressants affect serotonin, dopamine and other neurochemicals in the brain, ketamine works on the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) system and can be helpful for treatment-resistant depression. Still, […]
Documents show Matthew Perry was exploited before death from ketamine
