A federal judge in Los Angeles on Wednesday sentenced a 42-year-old woman to 15 years in prison for her role in supplying the ketamine that led to the death of TV show ‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry in 2023.
“You’re going to have to show some epic resilience,” Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett said to Jasveen Sangha, echoing the defendant’s words earlier in the hearing about her self-improvement.
Prosecutors had argued for a strict sentence, portraying Sangha as a central figure in a high-end ketamine distribution operation. The court agreed, handing down a term that is expected to exceed the combined sentences of the other co-accused in the case.
A case that followed Perry’s death
Perry, best known for playing Chandler Bing on the TV show Friends, was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home in October 2023. Medical authorities ruled ketamine as the primary cause of death, with drowning listed as a secondary factor.
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Investigators later found that while Perry had been receiving ketamine legally through a doctor as part of treatment for depression, he sought additional supplies outside medical channels. This led him to multiple individuals, including doctors and intermediaries, eventually culminating in a cash purchase from Sangha shortly before his death.
During the hearing, Perry’s stepfather, Keith Morrison, spoke about the emotional toll of the loss.
“There was a spark to that man I have never seen anywhere else,”Morrison said. “He should have had another act. Two more acts.”
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He added that Perry’s family continues to feel a “daily, grinding sadness and sorrow.”
Sangha’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, pushed back against the prosecution’s narrative, arguing that addiction, not his client, was ultimately responsible.
“There was nobody who was going to stop Mr Perry from doing what he was going to do,” Geragos said.
He also criticised the label “Ketamine Queen” used during the case, calling it a media-driven term rather than an accurate description.
Multiple accused, varying roles
The case involves five defendants, each playing different roles in the supply chain. One doctor admitted to illegally selling ketamine directly to Perry and was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison. Another received eight months of home detention for supplying the drug further up the chain.
Perry’s personal assistant and a friend, who acted as intermediaries in obtaining and administering the drug, are still awaiting sentencing.
Judge Garnett noted the challenge of ensuring proportional punishment across the accused. She questioned why Sangha’s sentence should be significantly higher than others, but ultimately concluded that her long-running drug business and broader client network made her more culpable.
A key factor in sentencing was evidence that Sangha continued dealing drugs even after learning that another customer had died in 2019. The victim’s sister addressed the court directly.
“Had you stopped selling ketamine when I texted you, we wouldn’t be here today,” she said.
Before the sentence was pronounced, Sangha acknowledged her actions and their consequences.
“These were not mistakes. They were horrible decisions,” she said, adding that she wears her shame “like a jacket.”
(With inputs from AP)
