'Ketamine Queen' Gets 15 Years in Matthew Perry Death

Was Jasveen Sangha a dangerous drug kingpin who deserved 15 years or a scapegoat for Matthew Perry's death?
'Ketamine Queen' Gets 15 Years in Matthew Perry Death
Above: Matthew Perry on Nov.17, 2022 in West Hollywood, California.  Image credit: Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for GQ

The Spin


Narrative A

Jasveen Sangha wasn't just selling drugs — the heartless woman was running a supply chain that killed at least two people and actively covered her tracks afterward. Packaging ketamine in unmarked vials with no dosage info and then telling a middleman to delete messages isn't a mistake; it's a criminal operation. Fifteen years is exactly the kind of sentence that matches the scale of the harm done.

Narrative B

Pinning Matthew Perry's death entirely on Sangha ignores that ketamine alone almost never kills — drowning in a hot tub did. Perry was a long-term addict who directed his own drug use, and prosecutors found no gang ties or violence in Sangha's background. A 15-year sentence that mirrors punishments for rapists and murderers is a disproportionate result of "death by dealer" laws run amok.

Narrative C

Targeting dealers or those around addicts misunderstands addiction itself. Addiction is a complex human and medical issue, a persistent, deeply rooted condition, not easily disrupted by policing supply chains. Crackdowns often worsen instability without reducing demand. Instead, meaningful change comes from long-term care, harm reduction and social support, which address the underlying realities driving addictive behavior.

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 7.16.0

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 7.16.0