Matthew Perry: The dark connection between Hollywood and doctors

The Death of “Friends” star Matthew Perry and the arrests that followed this week once again highlight the controversial relationship between some Hollywood stars and the doctors in charge of controlling their addictions.

The actor, who played the role of Chandler character In this cult series, he had made public his long battle with addictions. He died of a ketamine overdose in his jacuzzi in October 2023 at the age of 54.

This anesthetic, sometimes used for stimulating purposes, was ingested by the actor under supervision during therapy sessions for depression.

When he was refused a higher dose, the comedian returned to addiction, prosecutors say, turning to willing dealers and doctors for supplies.

His death involves two doctors “unscrupulous“, according to Anne Milgram of the DEA, the federal anti-drug agency, who denounced the “exploitation” of the actor by doctors Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez.

The case is reminiscent of that of Michael Jackson’s doctor, who was found guilty in 2011 of involuntary manslaughter for having administered to the former king of pop a lethal dose of a powerful surgical anesthetic.

Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and Prince also died after consuming legal substances obtained through health professionals.

“The rules are diluted with celebrities and that constantly leads to tragedies“Harry Nelson, a Los Angeles health lawyer, told AFP.

In Perry’s case, Dr. Plasencia supplied himself with ketamine with his colleague Chavez, according to the prosecution. The bottles, which were worth US$ 12, were received by the actor for US$ 2,000.

“I wonder how much this moron is going to pay“Plasencia said in a September 2023 text message about a transaction he was going to make with Perry, according to information gathered by investigators.

The situation is sometimes complicated

Stars must protect their private lives, and going to a doctor to get a prescription and then to a pharmacy to pick up medicines is unthinkable when you are constantly under the gaze of paparazzi.

Some doctors get carried away by “the glamour” of a relationship with a celebrity patient, who can be very demanding. And they sometimes give in to their demands to “to remain on good terms“Even if this goes against professional ethics,” the expert added.

“But it’s a trap” both for the “famous patient as for the doctor” said Nelson, who has intervened in a dozen tragic cases involving stars.

The ketamine It is increasingly being used legally to treat depression and post-traumatic stress. California has private clinics with extravagant fees and high-profile clientele, the lawyer notes.

This legal substance can only be administered, in principle, under medical supervision, due to the risk of side effects: loss of consciousness or respiratory problems, among others.