The Matthew Perry case, I mean.
From a report on PBS:
Doctor pleads guilty to selling Matthew Perry ketamine in the weeks before the actor’s death
Perry died on October 28, 2023. Yes, we’re still litigating the consequences.
This physician (one of two charged) had in fact treated Perry for various complaints in the past, but wasn’t treating him at the time of his death. The doctor did, it’s alleged, continue to supply Perry and his personal assistant with ketamine– at a cost of a reported $55,000 during the month prior to his death. Having that much ketamine on hand enabled Perry, or rather his assistant, to administer as much as 6 to 8 doses a day to his employer.
Incredibly, it appears that still wasn’t enough to satisfy Perry’s need for drugs. Another large purchase was recorded in the same time span. This one was in the amount of $12,000, paid to a different source, also for ketamine.
It boggles the mind.
Of course, by that time Matthew Perry was widely known in the drug-using community as someone who had completely lost control over his own addiction. Translation: he had become a prime target for exploitation by some truly awful people.
This included a woman known as the Ketamine Queen, also charged in Perry’s death. She’s a 41 year old unemployed MBA who supposedly met the actor in rehab (she denies this). At some point, she allegedly became a regular supplier, both for him and for a number of other celebrities and patrons of L.A.’s “party scene”.
Independent women in the drug business tend to acquire colorful showbiz-style nicknames, reminiscent of lady wrestlers. In the past, I’ve encountered an assortment of characters with monikers such the Ecstasy Queen (MDMA), the Mushroom Princess (psilocybin), and my personal favorite, Molly Dolly (MDMA again).
The Ketamine Queen is the last of the five defendants in the case. Once her fate is decided, perhaps the story of Matthew Perry’s unfortunate death will fade from the public’s attention. Let’s hope the lessons it provides don’t fade as well.
Late update: Ketamine Queen did finally join the others in a guilty plea.
