17th December 2025 – (Los Angeles) A former physician implicated in the fatal overdose of Hollywood actor Matthew Perry has been sentenced to eight months of house arrest. Mark Chavez, one of five defendants who have admitted supplying the star with drugs, received his sentence on Tuesday from U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett in the Central District of California, and was also ordered to complete 300 hours of community service.
Perry, the Emmy‑nominated actor famed for his portrayal of Chandler Bing in the US sitcom Friends, was found dead at his Los Angeles home on 28th October 2023, aged 54. Authorities determined he died from a ketamine overdose.
Five individuals have been charged in connection with the case. In his plea deal, Chavez admitted that he and former doctor Salvador Plasencia — who earlier this month was given a two‑and‑a‑half‑year prison term — conspired to mislead medical ketamine suppliers and unlawfully distribute the drug to Perry for profit, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Friends, which aired on NBC from 1994 to 2004, remains one of the most celebrated US television series, with Perry and his character achieving global recognition.
