Stern & Wild filmmaker reflects on the life of Matthew Perry as ‘Ketamine Queen’ dealer is sentenced to prison

FRIENDS star Matthew Perry died from an accidental ketamine overdose at his Los Angeles home in October 2023. He was 54. The federal investigation into his death led to five individuals being charged for their roles in an ‘underground criminal network’ that supplied him with drugs, including two doctors, his personal assistant and ‘dealer to the stars’, Jasveen Singha, known to her customers as the ‘Ketamine Queen’.

Singha was sentenced this week to 15 years in prison for her part in the Hollywood actor’s death.

Stern & Wild filmmaker Mike Griffiths, exec producer of a powerful 2025 Peacock documentary detailing Matthew Perry’s tragic final days, finds hope in the star’s desire to help others by sharing his own experience.

What makes a good documentary? Story? Characters? Plot twists? Heart? It seems like these days, there’s a documentary for everyone’s tastes, but I’d argue that they all have one thing in common – a human being whose story touches us profoundly.

I first came across Matthew Perry’s story in 2024 when I was asked to make a documentary on the FRIENDS star’s death for Peacock. Entitled MATTHEW PERRY: A HOLLYWOOD TRAGEDY it would set out to expose the dark underbelly of tinsel town. A place where, for the right price, anything is possible, where a supporting cast of hangers-on prey on wealthy, often vulnerable celebrities, and where addiction can easily lead to death. All very salacious, and dare I admit, a totally sellable story in an age where celebrity and true crime are evergreen. But that’s not what makes Matthew Perry’s story box office, as I was soon to discover.

If you aren’t familiar with his story then you’d be forgiven for thinking, ‘Isn’t this just another tale about a rich guy who couldn’t control his urges?’ I’ll admit, it crossed my mind. 

At first, I couldn’t imagine feeling a connection to Perry in the way that I would. He was a fan of the Batman comics, something I shared with him. He had an illuminated Batman installed in the bottom of his pool, visible from the air. And he’d often refer to himself jokingly as ‘Matman’. Sadly, most often when he was high. But his taste in comic book characters is a trivial side bar. Could I honestly expect to find anything in his story that I could identify with? I was never really a huge FRIENDS fan, and I’m certainly not a multimillionaire with multimillionaire problems. Regrettably.

What I soon realised is that Matthew Perry is – was – one of ‘us’. A regular person trying his best to do the best in the world. It’s just his successes and failures were far more spectacular than most. Growing up he had a complicated relationship with his biological father, and later he developed a complicated relationship with alcohol. A jet ski accident in 1997 became a gateway to prescription painkillers. During all of this, however, he managed to become one of the most successful and highly paid actors on the planet. But for me, it’s what he did next that is so deserving of respect and admiration.

He decided to quit the booze and the pills, and did it in the most un-Hollywood way possible. He told the world. Anyone who would listen. It was a potentially career ending move, but he didn’t care. He wanted to pass on the message to anyone out there who was suffering from addiction, or any other ailment you choose to name. He wanted to pass on a message that he’d received from a sympathetic ear, ‘It’s not your fault, you have a disease’. He wanted people to know they were loved despite their faults and their failings.

He helped many people through their own hard times. Hank Azaria, the voice of many SIMPSONS characters, and a friend of Perry’s, is on record saying how grateful he is for Perry’s help combating his own addictions. You might want to argue that Perry’s thoughtfulness was ultimately self-serving, because selfishly he wanted forgiveness. But frankly, who cares. The world he advocates is one I want to live in. 

What’s really sad is that Matthew Perry’s story doesn’t have a happy ending. Life rarely has a Hollywood ending, even if you are one of its stars. But his story is strangely and surprisingly one of hope, redemption and humanity. It’s nothing if not human. Rest in peace Matman.

MATTHEW PERRY: A HOLLYWOOD TRAGEDY is available to stream now in the US on Peacock, and in the UK on the ITVX platform.