Matthew Perry’s Mother and Stepfather Write That He ‘Wanted..Needed…Deserved a Third Act’ in Victim Impact Statement
In October 2023, Matthew Perry was found dead in his hot tub. The death saddened the world, but the cause, a drug overdose, wasn’t particularly shocking. Perry was open about his battle with drugs and alcohol, and spoke candidly about his journey in a memoir that was released less than a year before his death. Since that tragic October 2023 day, five people have been arrested in connection with his death. His mother and stepfather recently submitted a victim impact statement ahead of one criminal’s sentencing. In the poignant message, they noted that Perry wanted, needed, and deserved a “third act.”
Salvador Plasencia receives a sentence for his role in Matthew Perry’s death
On December 3, 2025, more than two years after Matthew Perry’s death, Salvador Plasencia, a doctor who gave the Friends star ketamine, was sentenced. Pelsencia was the first of five who pleaded guilty to various charges in connection with the death to receive a sentence.
During his sentencing, Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett told Salvador Plasencia that he directly contributed to Perry’s death by fueling the Friends star’s addiction. According to the Los Angeles Times, Judge Garnett went on to remind Plasencia that he abused his position. She noted he violated the oath he took as a doctor and recklessly played with a person’s life through dangerous and illegal medical decisions.
The former doctor will serve 30 months in prison. Two more years of supervised release for his role in Perry’s death will follow. According to the Department of Justice, he surrendered his medical license and has been stripped of his right to work as a prescribing physician. He will never practice medicine again. While he was remanded to federal custody immediately following his sentencing, he has yet to be assigned to a facility.
Matthew Perry’s parents say he lost his chance to have a ‘third act’
Matthew Perry lived many lives despite dying at just 54. Best known as an actor, Perry lived a previous life as a junior tennis standout in Canada. He was also a trusted friend, a beloved family member, and, when sober, dedicated to helping others maintain their own sobriety. While Perry packed a lot into his 54 years, his stepfather says he was prepared and ready for his “third act” before it was stolen from him.
In a victim impact statement that appeared to be largely penned by Keith Morrison, he reminded the judge that Perry was working towards something when he died suddenly. He noted that substance abuse loomed largely over the actor’s life. Still, he insists he deserved more time to figure it out. Morrison contends that greedy, unscrupulous people stole that from him. He wrote, “His story moved so many people… And he wanted, needed, deserved… a third act. It was… in the planning. And then, those jackals…” He also wrote of his wife’s connection to her only son, how deeply loved the unique and irreplaceable Matthew Perry was, and how his death has changed everything.
Keith Morrison is a Canadian broadcast journalist best known as a correspondent for NBC’s Dateline. Morrison married Suzanne Langford Morrison, Matthew Perry’s mother, in 1981. Perry was 12 when the pair tied the knot.
More sentencing dates loom
Morrison’s impact statement was submitted for the sentencing of Salvador Plasenci. Still, it might also be used during the sentencing of four more people linked to Perry’s death. Those sentencing hearings are coming up quickly. Jasveen Sangha, known as the “Ketamine Queen,” was the last person to plead guilty. She’ll be the next person associated with the actor’s death to be sentenced. Her sentencing will take place on December 10. According to ABC News, she pleaded guilty to the distribution of ketamine and distribution resulting in death. Sangha could face 20 years to life behind bars.
Mark Chavez, a doctor, will be sentenced the following week. Chavez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute charges and faces up to 10 years in prison. Erik Flemming, an associate, and Kenneth Iwamasa, Perry’s assistant who administered the fatal dose, are set to be sentenced in January. Flemming and Iwamasa both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute charges and are facing upwards of 20 years behind bars.
