More than two years after Matthew Perry’s death, friends and fans who grieved the actor are moving on with their everyday lives. For his family, the grief surrounding him hasn’t softened; if anything, it’s become something they now have to live with every single day.
One of the five people charged in Perry’s death, Jasveen Sangha, pleaded guilty in the U.S. Department of Justice’s criminal case and was sentenced on April 8. In a powerful victim impact statement submitted to the court on the day before the hearing, his stepmother, Debbie Perry, put into words what that loss has actually felt like behind closed doors. “The pain you’ve caused to hundreds, maybe thousands, is irreversible,” she wrote, referencing Perry’s impact on the world. “There is no joy to be found, no light in the window.”
Perry, best known for playing Chandler Bing on Friends, was found unresponsive at his Los Angeles home in October 2023. He was 54. His death was later ruled accidental, caused by the acute effects of ketamine, with additional contributing factors including drowning and underlying health conditions.
“You caused this,” Perry’s stepmother said. “You who has talent for business, enough to make money, chose the one way that hurts people. How sad for you.” “How will you ever find joy?” she added. “Have you ever found joy?”
The statement ends with a plea for accountability, not just for what happened to Matthew, but to prevent it from happening again. She urged the court to hand down the maximum sentence, saying it’s the only way to ensure “she won’t be able to hurt other families like ours.”
The letter seemingly made an impact. Nicknamed the “ketamine queen,” Sanghaw was dealt a 15-year prison sentence. “To cultivate her business, [Sangha] marketed herself as an exclusive dealer who catered to high-profile Hollywood clientele,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “While [Sangha] worked to expand and profit from her drug trafficking, she knew – and disregarded – the grave harm her conduct was causing.”
His stepdad, Keith Morrison, shared a brief statement outside of the courthouse. The “Dateline” correspondent said, “We miss Matthew dreadfully, of course, and I feel bad for the family of the perpetrator here as well. Nobody won today.”
© GettyHe also said the “very fair” judge chose a “highly reasoned sentence.” Keith has been married to Matthew’s mom, Suzanne Perry, since 1981.
© GettyWhen asked if he thought Sangha took to heart the words he shared in court, Morrison replied, “Yes, I do. I looked down and she was visibly emotional about it. I mean, look, you’d have to have a heart of stone to wake up every morning and make a business out of feeding off the addictions of vulnerable people who are desperate for drugs. Then when you’re forced to confront what you have done, if you don’t feel some sense of shame or sorrow, then you’re not even human.”
He continued, “And she is clearly human. She is now facing her sentence, and I think she’ll do fine in prison.”
© GettyAs noted by USA Today, she was one of five who have pleaded guilty. Dr. Salvador Plasencia was sentenced to 30 months in prison, while Dr. Mark Chavez received eight months of home confinement. Film producer Erik Fleming and Perry’s assistant Kenneth Iwamasa have pleaded guilty but are still awaiting sentencing.
Prosecutors alleged that in October 2023, Sangha worked with Fleming, an acquaintance of Perry, to sell 51 vials of ketamine to his assistant, Iwamasa, who then administered the drug to the actor.
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