Entertainment

Five charged over Matthew Perry’s death

Published

5 months ago

August 16, 2024

editor

Five people have been charged in the drug-related death of Matthew Perry last year, police say, including two doctors and the actor’s personal assistant.

Police said on Thursday that their investigation, launched in May, uncovered a “broad underground criminal network” of drug suppliers who distributed large quantities of ketamine.

Perry, 54, died at his Los Angeles home in October. A post-mortem examination found a high concentration of ketamine in his blood and determined the “acute effects” of the controlled substance had killed him.

“These defendants took advantage of Mr Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves,” US Attorney Martin Estrada said on Thursday. “They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr Perry, but they did it anyway.

Three of the defendants – including Perry’s assistant – have already pleaded guilty to drug charges, while two others – a doctor and a woman known as “The Ketamine Queen” – were arrested on Thursday, according to the justice department.

Ketamine – a powerful anaesthetic – is used as a treatment for depression, anxiety and pain. People close to Perry, who starred as one of the lead characters on the NBC television show Friends, told a coroner’s investigation after his death that he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy.

But his last session had taken place more than a week before his death. The medical examiner said the ketamine in Perry’s system could not have been from the infusion therapy because of the drug’s short half-life.

The levels of ketamine in his body were as high as the amount given during general anaesthesia, according to the medical examiner.

An indictment filed in federal court detailed the elaborate drug purchasing scheme that prosecutors say ultimately led to Perry’s death.

Prosecutors said Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, worked with two doctors to provide the actor with over $50,000 (£38,000) of ketamine in the weeks before his death.

Officials argued those involved in the scheme tried to profit from Perry’s well-known substance abuse issues. One of the doctors, Salvador Plasencia, is alleged to have written in a text message: “I wonder how much this moron will pay.”

Mr Plasencia, 42, provided Perry ketamine “outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose”, according to the indictment.

He also allegedly taught Iwamasa how to inject Perry with ketamine without proper safety procedures and surveillance, the police indictment says.

In the four days before his death, Iwamasa gave Perry at least 27 shots of ketamine, prosecutors alleged.

He did so even after a large dose of ketamine earlier that month caused Perry to “freeze up”, leading Mr Plasencia to advise against a similar-sized dose in the future, prosecutors said. The doctor still left several vials of the drug with the actor and his assistant after the incident, according to the indictment.

Others charged in the case include Jasveen Sangha, the so-called “Ketamine Queen” who supplied the drug to Plasencia through the help of two other co-defendants, Erik Fleming and doctor Mark Chavez

Chavez, Fleming and Iwamasa have all pleaded guilty.

Ms Sangha and Mr Plasencia both made their initial appearances in Los Angeles court on Thursday afternoon and pleaded not guilty, the US Department of Justice said.

Both suspects had tentative trial dates set for October. Mr Plasencia was given a bond of $100,000 and Ms Sangha was ordered to be held without bond.

Prosecutors say the defendants attempted to cover up their alleged crimes after Perry’s death.

Ms Sangha allegedly texted another suspect, telling him to “delete all our messages”. Mr Plasencia also falsified medical records, according to the indictment.

Drowning was also listed as a contributing factor in Perry’s death, which was ruled an accident. Other contributing factors were coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid use disorder.

At the height of his fame, Perry was battling with addiction to painkillers and alcohol, and attended rehabilitation on multiple occasions. He detailed his struggle with substance use in his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.

In 2016, he told BBC Radio 2 that he could not remember three years of filming during Friends, because of drink and drugs.

After attempts at treatment, he wrote in his memoir that he had been mostly sober since 2001 – “save for about 60 or 70 mishaps”.

(BBC News)

Entertainment

Cultural Center in Jaffna named ‘Thiruvalluvar Cultural Center’

Published

2 days ago

January 20, 2025

editor

High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka – Mr. Santosh Jha and Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs – Hiniduma Sunil Senevi jointly announced the naming of the Cultural Centre in Jaffna as ‘Thiruvalluvar Cultural Center’, in honour of the great Tamil poet-philosopher Thiruvalluvar, at a ceremony held on 18th January 2025.

The event was also attended by Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources Hon’ble Ramalingam Chandrashekhar, Governor of Northern Province Hon’ble Nagalingam Vethanayan, Municipal Commissioner of Jaffna Mr. S. Krishnendran, Secretary to Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Mr. Atapattu, Consul General of India in Jaffna Sai Murali, along with other dignitaries and cultural artists from Jaffna.
Built with Indian grant assistance of USD 12 million, the Center provides a space where the rich traditions, arts, and aspirations of the people of the Northern Province could thrive. The iconic structure is a state-of-the-art facility consisting of multiple facilities such as a museum of two floors; an advanced theatre style auditorium for more than 600 people; an 11-storeyed learning tower; a public square which could also act as an amphitheater; etc.

The foundation stone for the Cultural Center was laid by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, during his historic visit to Jaffna in March 2015. The facility was subsequently inaugurated in March 2022 and dedicated to the people of Sri Lanka in February 2023.

High Commissioner – Mr. Santosh Jha, during his address at the naming ceremony on 18th January, said that the initiative not only served to pay tribute to the great Thiruvalluvar, it was also a celebration of a shared history, a shared culture, and the unique and unbreakable bond between India and Sri Lanka. He remarked that the occasion marked the beginning of a journey guided by the wisdom of Thiruvalluvar, towards a future rich in culture, collaboration, and shared prosperity. The High Commissioner urged the people of Jaffna and the Northern Province to make the center a living, breathing embodiment of Thiruvalluvar’s teachings.

Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs – Sunil Senevi said that an ideal name had been chosen for the Cultural Center in Jaffna. He added that Thiruvalluvar’s teachings remind us that our actions should always be rooted in compassion and righteousness, and that his masterpiece, the Thirukkural, guides us in the pursuit of a just and harmonious society. In a special gesture, Hon’ble Minister gifted the High Commissioner of India a copy of the first ever edition of translation of the Thirukkural into Sinhala.

On behalf of the President Anura Kumara Disanayaka, the Minister thanked the Government of India for the generous gift of the cultural center, and said that he looked forward to working with all stakeholders towards making it a hub of vibrant cultural activity.

Entertainment

TikTok set to be banned on Sunday after US Supreme Court shuts down appeal

Published

4 days ago

January 18, 2025

editor

The US Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a law that could ban TikTok in America has disappointed millions of users across the country – many of whom earn money through its use.

But lawmakers argued the social media app’s links to China posed a national security threat.

TikTok challenged the legislation in court, arguing it would violate free speech protections for the more than 170 million users it says it has in the US.

The nation’s highest court rejected this claim unanimously, meaning TikTok must now find an approved buyer for the US version of the app or face removal from app stores and web hosting services.

One TikTok user told BBC News that the ruling was like “going to work and your office building’s just vanished”.

While the ban is legally slated to begin Sunday, the Biden administration said it would leave the enforcement of the matter to the incoming president, Donald Trump, who takes office on Monday.

Trump, who pushed for a sale or ban of TikTok in 2020, has vowed to make a decision regarding the platfrom in the “not too distant future”. Since his election win, he has indicated that he would like to preserve the shortfrom video app’s presence in the US – which has seemingly left TikTok’s future openended.

(BBC News)

Entertainment

Saif Ali Khan ‘out of danger’

Published

5 days ago

January 17, 2025

editor

Popular Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan has undergone surgery and is out of danger after he was stabbed by an intruder in his home overnight, his team has said.

The attack took place early on Thursday morning in an upscale neighbourhood in the Indian city of Mumbai, where Khan lives with his family.

City police told BBC Marathi that the actor was injured after a scuffle broke out between him and an unidentified man who entered his house sometime after midnight.

Police have formed teams to investigate the matter.

“Khan has come out of surgery and is out of danger. He is currently in recovery and the doctors are monitoring his progress,” Khan’s team said in a statement.

Speaking to reporters after the surgery, Dr Nitin Dange of Lilavati Hospital, where Khan is admitted, said that the actor “sustained a major injury to the thoracic spinal cord due to a lodged knife in the spine”.

“A surgery was performed to remove the knife and repair leaking spinal fluid. Two other deep wounds on his left hand and one other on his neck were repaired by the plastic surgery team,” he said.

Khan is married to Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan and the couple have two children. His team said they were safe.

His wife said afterwards on Instagram stories that it had been “an incredibly challenging day for our family”, and that they were still “trying to process” it.

She “respectfully and humbly” asked the media and paparazzi to “refrain from the relentless speculation and coverage”.

“While we appreciate the concern and support, the constant scrutiny and attention are not only overwhelming but also pose a significant risk to our safety,” she added.

“I kindly request that you respect our boundaries and give us the space we need to heal and cope as a family.”

The exact details of the assault are not clear yet. Police have said that “an unknown person” had entered the actor’s home.

“After that, an argument broke out between Khan and the intruder,” Mumbai’s Deputy Commissioner of Police Dixit Gedam told BBC Marathi.

Khan’s team said it was a case of “attempted burglary” but did not share more details.

“We request the media and fans to be patient. It is a police matter,” they said.

(BBC News)