Who Is Jasveen Sangha, the ‘Ketamine Queen’ Sentenced in Connection With Matthew Perry’s Death?
A federal judge in Los Angeles has sentenced Jasveen Sangha to 15 years in prison in connection with the 2023 overdose death of Matthew Perry, closing one of the most closely watched cases tied to the actor’s passing.
Sangha, 42, pleaded guilty to multiple counts related to the distribution of ketamine, including one charge tied directly to a death. Prosecutors described her as operating a high-end drug network that supplied controlled substances to clients in Hollywood, a characterization that has followed her closely in public coverage of the case.
The nickname now circulating widely online – “Ketamine Queen” – did not emerge after the case gained attention. According to prosecutors, it was already in use among customers and became a shorthand for how her operation was presented in court.
Authorities said Sangha ran her business out of a residence in North Hollywood, supplying ketamine through intermediaries and direct transactions. In the weeks leading up to Perry’s death, that network intersected with a broader chain of access that included licensed physicians, facilitators, and personal staff.
Perry died on October 28, 2023, at the age of 54. He was found unresponsive at his home, and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner later ruled his death an accidental overdose involving ketamine.
In the months before his death, Perry had been undergoing ketamine infusion therapy under medical supervision for depression. According to court filings, he later sought additional, unsupervised access to the drug, moving beyond regulated treatment into illicit supply.
That progression, prosecutors argued, brought him into contact with multiple sources.
Sangha’s role, as outlined in court, came late in that chain.
Days before Perry’s death, he allegedly paid $6,000 in cash for ketamine supplied through Sangha’s network. In total, prosecutors said Sangha and an associate provided dozens of vials during the final weeks of his life.
The drug was administered by Perry’s live-in assistant, who has also been charged in the case and is awaiting sentencing.
Sangha was one of five defendants charged in connection with Perry’s death, including two doctors and multiple intermediaries. Over time, the case has moved forward through a series of plea agreements, with each defendant facing different levels of sentencing based on their role.
Her sentence stands out.
Sangha is the only defendant whose plea agreement included an explicit acknowledgment tied to the fatal outcome. That distinction, along with the scale of her alleged operation, factored heavily into the court’s decision to impose a longer prison term than others involved.
During sentencing, the court also considered the broader scope of her activity.
Prosecutors pointed to years of distribution and a wide client base, arguing that the case was not limited to a single transaction. The judge referenced both the scale of the operation and prior incidents linked to it when explaining the sentence.
Sangha’s defense questioned whether her role as a supplier justified a harsher sentence than that of individuals who directly administered the drug. The court ultimately disagreed.
In the aftermath of Perry’s death, investigators said Sangha took steps to distance herself from the situation, including communicating through encrypted messaging and instructing others to delete records.
That detail became part of the broader case prosecutors built around intent and awareness.
Perry’s family addressed the court ahead of sentencing, describing the ongoing impact of his death. Sangha also spoke, acknowledging her actions and describing the consequences as the result of what she called “poor choices” and “horrible decisions.”
The case has drawn sustained attention in part because of what it reveals beyond a single individual.
It outlines a layered system through which controlled substances can move — from medical settings to informal networks — especially in environments where access is both available and in demand. Physicians, intermediaries, and suppliers operated at different points along that chain, with responsibility distributed across multiple actors.
Sangha’s sentencing resolves one part of that process.
Other defendants are still awaiting their outcomes, and the case continues to move through the courts. What has already emerged is a clearer picture of how accountability is assigned in situations where access, demand, and decision-making intersect.
It rarely centers on one person alone.