As Jasveen Sangha gets sentenced to 15 years behind bars for her part in the tragic death of Friends star Matthew Perry, the Mirror takes a look at the ‘Ketamine Queen’s’ glittering lifestyle that concealed a murkey reality
On the surface, Jasveen Sangha lived the life of a glamorous businesswoman, but behind the designer wardrobes and caviar feasts lurked a sinister secret.
Dubbed the ‘Ketamine Queen of Los Angeles’, Sangha was in fact running a “drug-selling emporium” from her seemingly unremarkable home in North Hollywood. And it was this grubby line of business which resulted in the death of one of the best-loved sit-com stars of all time.
Matthew Perry, famed for playing Chandler Bing in Friends, was just 54-years-old when he was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his LA home on October 28, 2023. His death was ruled an accident from the ‘acute effects of ketamine’, which had caused him to slip beneath the water and drown.
The tragedy led to an outpouring of grief from fans all across the world, who were sadly all too aware of the TV icon’s longstanding issues with drug and alcohol addiction. There was also plenty of outrage directed towards those who had supplied Matthew with drugs.
It was determined that, at the time of the actor’s death, British-born Sangha, who plied her trade to “high-end and celebrities”, had been his primary supplier. Back in September, having previously denied the charges she faced, the 42-year-old pleaded guilty to five federal counts in Los Angeles, including distributing ketamine resulting in death or bodily injury.
READ MORE: ‘Ketamine Queen’ sentenced to 15 years for selling lethal dose to Friends star Matthew Perry
Speaking from jail before she was sentenced to 15 years behind bars this week, Sangha said that she took “full responsibility” for her actions and “the role I played in the events that led to this tragedy.” Breaking her silence, Sangha told The Sun: “There are no excuses for what I did. I am deeply sorry for the pain I caused, especially to Matthew’s family. Their loss is unimaginable and permanent. I understand that my conduct – operating a drug business and continuing down that path – was reckless, dangerous, and wrong.”
Towards the end of his life, Matthew had been receiving off-label ketamine treatments for depression from his usual doctor, but wasn’t able to get as much as he wanted. Sangha allegedly provided Matthew with the drug via his friend Erik Fleming, who then gave it to his personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa.
In those final days, Iwamasa was administering “at least six shots” of ketamine each day, splurging around £42,000 on the drug. Ahead of sentencing, Matthew’s stepmother Debbie Perry called for Sangha to be handed the harshest possible jail sentence, asking: “Please give this heartless woman the maximum prison sentence so she won’t be able to hurt other families like ours.”
For those who thought they knew Sangha, the realisation that she was living two very different lives simultaneously proved dizzying…
Secret millionaire family
Born in Ilford, east London, Sangha comes from a wealthy Sikh family, and was reportedly “spoilt rotten” by her multimillionaire grandparents during her privileged childhood, the Daily Mail reports. An heiress who stood to inherit a substantial fortune, according to The Times, those close to Sangha have reportedly been left “completely shocked” by her involvement in drug dealing, given the enviable safety net of her rich family.
The daughter of entrepreneur Nilem Singh and Dr Baljeet Singh Chhokar, it initially appeared as though Sangha was set to follow in their footsteps, earning a BA from the University of California, followed by an MBA from Hult Business School. Interior designer Clancy Carter, who has known Sangha since 2008, told the publication: “She has a family that cares for her. She has never been the type of person who needed money. She has property in the UK. She’s always travelling and doing fun things with her family. I would never guess she would do something like this at all.”
But behind the scenes, the family have navigated some of their own troubles. Sangha’s mother and stepfather ran KFC franchises in California. According to the BBC, the couple were sued by the company for more than $50,000 in 2013 for failing to pay royalties for branding use, and Sangha’s stepfather declared bankruptcy before the case wrapped up. However, if the family was struggling financially, this certainly wasn’t evident in the lifestyle Sangha exhibited.
‘Absolutely fabulous’ lifestyle
Sangha’s social media pages showcase a life of jetsetting and designer shopping trips, with the Chanel and Louis Vuitton-clad heiress enjoying swish holidays in Mexico and Japan.
Just two weeks after Matthew’s death, Sangha was seen sipping lychee martinis at Tokyo’s £ 1,500-a-night Mandarin Oriental hotel. A couple of months later, she could be seen sunning herself by the pool with pals in Playa Del Carmen, cocktail in hand.
Right up until her arrest on August 15, 2024, Sangha was still pampering herself with treatments, dying her hair purple the day before she was slapped in cuffs. She also posted a quote from BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, which read: “Cancel my aromatherapy, my psychotherapy, my reflexology, my osteopath, my homoeopath, my naturopath, my crystal reading, my shiatsu, my organic hairdresser. And see if I can be rebirthed next Thursday afternoon.”
Much like image-conscious characters Patsy and Eddie, Sangha spared no expense when it came to trying out treatments, recuperating after parties with IV drips and ‘sound healing’ sessions. And when it came to parties, she also didn’t hold back. Sangha, who socialised with the likes of Charlie Sheen, threw her 41st birthday at a trendy West Hollywood bar, while her ’70s-themed 40th saw her decked in sequins, posing beside a plush Mercedes.
Star-studded career
Sangha concealed her drug-dealing activities behind a sparkling career, which saw her mingle with actors on the red carpet. One pal told the Daily Mail that she worked in marketing and event planning for the rich and famous, and had previously attended Golden Globes and Oscars events. Her social media bio paints the criminal as a curator of art, events and music, keeping her less palatable activities out of view.
For Kayti Edwards, who dated Matthew in 2006 before becoming his assistant, Sangha’s reported presence at glittering events such as the Oscars was a sign of how widespread drug use is in Hollywood. Kayti revealed: ‘I don’t think she had a purse full of drugs at the Oscars… I think she was treating it like a networking party. When you hang around all these powerful people with money, opportunity always presents itself. She would have definitely made some contacts there.”
According to The Sun, the MBA grad also owned businesses. This included nail salon Stiletto Nail Bar, located in the stylish LA neighbourhood of Studio City, which reportedly opened in 2015, only to close just two years later. Behind the scenes lay a darker empire. Officers who raided Sangha’s home uncovered what they called a “drug-selling emporium”, described as the hub of a vast operation dealing in methamphetamine, cocaine, Xanax and ketamine.
Friends’ shock
In December 2025, one of Sangha’s longtime friends, Tony Marquez, spoke out in the BBC documentary Matthew Perry and the Ketamine Queen, expressing shock over the businesswoman’s “double life”. Mere weeks before Matthew’s death, Tony, who’d known Sangha since the 2010s, spoke with her over the phone, not realising the sinister turn her life had taken.
Tony, who had moved in the same fashionable social circles as Sangha and even met her family, claimed: “She never hinted that she was in deep water.” He recalled: “She always had money. She travelled all over by private jet, and did that way before everything blew up.”
Meanwhile, her old university pal Jash Negandhi told the BBC he’d been completely blindsided by the revelations, and says his former classmates never discussed any involvement in drugs. He shared: “She was very much into the dance music scene. She loved to dance and have a good time. I knew nothing. Absolutely nothing.”
*Frank offers confidential advice about drugs and addiction (email frank@talktofrank.com, message 82111 or call 0300 123 6600) or the NHS has information about getting help.
READ MORE: ‘Ketamine Queen rang me just before Matthew Perry’s death – her double life floored me’
