Scarlett Johansson's Unlikely Connection to an Accused in Matthew Perry’s Drug Death Case

A former Hollywood director who collaborated with A-lister, Scarlett Johansson, is one of five individuals arrested over the death of Matthew Perry. The overdose death of the Friends actor on October 28, 2023, is still under investigation. Erik Fleming is one of the persons detained and charged with playing the role of a middleman in the ketamine trade that killed the actor.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Fleming once had a more active role in Hollywood. His 54 years of experience include his directing credit for My Brother the Pig, a 1999 fantasy comedy for kids that featured superstars, Eva Mendes and Johansson. The Surreal Life, a reality program that he created in 2003, starred Corey Feldman, Gabrielle Carteris, Vince Neil, and MC Hammer in its first season. Fleming also oversaw the production and direction of the 1999 road movie Tyrone, which featured Coolio and Kevin Connolly.

But now the famous Tinseltown personality is among the five accused of delivering the ketamine and was detained on August 15th. As reported by People magazine, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration official, Anne Milgram, said at the live-streamed conference on Thursday that "each of the defendants played a key role in his death."

Two physicians, Salvador Plasencia, and Mark Chavez, Perry's live-in helper, Kenneth Iwamasa, and 'the ketamine queen', Jasveen Sangha, were the others arrested. According to the US Department of Justice, Fleming coordinated the drug sales with Sangha and carried cash from Iwamasa to Sangha’s 'stash house' in North Hollywood to buy vials of the same. 

The FBI, Los Angeles Police Department, USPS Los Angeles Division, and the US Attorney's Office have all been working together on Perry's case for months. In December 2023, the inquiry into his death was ended by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner. It was determined that his demise was accidental. However, the organization along with the LAPD re-opened the investigation earlier this year, in May.

An autopsy report that People magazine acquired in December had confirmed that the actor's death was caused by acute ketamine effects. He was initially believed to have drowned. Perry had coronary artery disease and suffered from the side effects of the opioid addiction medicine, Buprenorphine. His last ketamine infusion treatment was administered one and a half weeks before his death, according to the autopsy. Perry had been reportedly clean for 19 months. The investigation was re-opened as reports pointed out that "the ketamine in his system at death could not be from that infusion therapy, since ketamine's half-life is 3 to 4 hours or less." According to authorities, Perry paid $11,000 to acquire 50 vials of the drug from Sangha after he failed to secure the same with legal prescriptions.