Matthew Perry's grieving fans pay tribute to him on what would have been his 55th birthday: 'You didn't deserve this'

Matthew Perry is being mourned by fans on what would have been his 55th birthday.

The actor, who famously played smart-mouthed Chandler Bing on Friends, died in October after suffering a fatal ketamine overdose.

A police investigation ensued, resulting in the arrests of five people this past week. 

Among them was the actor's personal assistant and two doctors - said to be part of a 'broad underground criminal network' that supplied the sitcom star with the drugs.

Onlookers thus likely already had the actor on the mind when his birthday rolled around Monday, as did the official Friends Instagram account - who decided to post in remembrance.

Matthew Perry is being mourned by fans on what would have been his 55th birthday.

Reactions were seen after the official Friends Instagram decided to post in remembrance

'On this day, we remember the light that was Matthew Perry,' account operators wrote, sharing a vintage photo of the deceased.

A series of emotional comments ensued, some of them referencing the recent headlines surrounding his alleged enablers arrests.

'Thank you for giving us Chandler Bing, Matthew Perry,' wrote one forlorn fan. 'Always in my heart and happy birthday to you.'

'This would have been Matthew Perry’s 55th birthday today,' added another, before offering a solemn hashtag. 'RIPMatthewPerry.'

Most mentioned his iconic character, known for his sarcasm and well-timed quips.

Others remembered the show and how it had impacted them, with one person writing, 'I rewatch Friends every year since 2020 at least twice. 

'Now I am again on season 3,' they added. 'Love you Matt.'

'Our dearest Chan Chan Man,' another fondly remembered.

'Could we miss him more??' said someone else.

Within three hours of posting, the memorial has received more than 600,000 likes and countless replies

Most mentioned his iconic character, known for his sarcasm and well-timed quips, delivered over the course of 10 successful seasons with castmates David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, and Lisa Kudrow  

Within three hours of posting, the memorial has received more than 600,000 likes and countless replies.

One person, in turn, proclaimed : 'Everything going on in the news with him shouldn’t be how we remember [Perry]. 

'We should remember him making millions of us laugh ever time we heard a sarcastic comment from Chandler Bing.'

The news, meanwhile, is still fresh in the minds of many, as the coalition of suspects were apprehended just this past Thursday.

Officials who made the arrests were from the federal government, and in a subsequent press briefing, US attorney Martin Estrada explained how officials had uncovered a ‘broad underground criminal network responsible for distributing large quantity of ketamine to Perry and others’.  

In a press conference, US attorney Martin Estrada, in turn, described Perry's steady descent into ketamine addiction, which he said began with him obtaining the controlled substance through doctors, before eventually resorting to street vendors.

An accompanying indictment alleged the defendants made tens of thousands of dollars by selling the narcotic to the troubled star, and that in one instance, Doctor Salvador Plasencia, of Malibu Canyon Urgent Care, worked with fellow doc Mark Chavez to charge Perry $2,000 for a vial of ketamine that actually cost $12.

Doctor Salvador Plasencia, 42, has been charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine

A federal indictment alleged the physician worked with fellow doc Mark Chavez (pictured) to charge Perry $2,000 for a vial of ketamine that actually cost $12

Also cuffed in connection with the case was Perry's former live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa,  after he admitted to administering the fatal dose of ketamine that killed the Friends actor

Jasveen Sangha, 41, is better known as the 'Ketamine Queen' of north Hollywood. Prosecutors say she is the lynchpin for a 'broad underground criminal network' which supplied the Friends star the ketamine that killed him in October 2023

Also cuffed in connection with the case was Perry's former live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who admitted to administering the fatal dose that killed the iconic actor.

The supposed lynchpin for the alleged underground operation that supplied the Friends star was 41-year-old Jasveen Sangha, also known by the pseudoynym of the 'Ketamine Queen' in North Hollywood.

Cops said it was Sangha's distribution of the substance on October 4, 2023, that led to his death, after which Perry was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his LA home on October 28.

Meanwhile, as of writing, the actor's costars have yet to air their own tributes to their fallen friend.

Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow issued heartfelt tributes in the days after his death, however, both to Instagram.  

'Matthew It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye,' LeBlanc, who played Joey on the long-running sitcom, wrote.

Cops said it was Sangha's distribution of the substance on October 4, 2023, that led to his death, after which Perry was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his LA home on October 28. He is seen here in the same jacuzzi just days earlier 

Investigators said they discovered a 'drugs emporium' at Sangha home during a raid in March 2024, the fruits of which are seen here

'The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life,' he continued.

'It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend. 

'I will always smile when I think of you and I’ll never forget you. Never.

'Spread your wings and fly brother you’re finally free. Much love,' he concluded, before offering a characteristic joke.

'And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me.'

Kudrow, meanwhile, offered up an interesting anecdote involving Perry at an NBC party after the show was first picked up, along with a photo at the time as well. 

She wrote: 'Shot the pilot, Friends Like Us, got picked up then immediately, we were at the NBC Upfronts. Then… You suggested we play poker AND made it so much fun while we initially bonded. Thank you for that.

'Thank you for making me laugh so hard at something you said, that my muscles ached, and tears poured down my face EVERY DAY.

'Thank you for your open heart in a six way relationship that required compromise. And a lot of “talking.”

'Thank you for the best 10 years a person gets to have', one of Perry's costars recently wrote

'Thank you for showing up at work when you weren’t well and then, being completely brilliant,' she continued.

'Thank you for the best 10 years a person gets to have.' 

If convicted of all charges, Sangha could face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, as well as a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Plasencia, meanwhile, could face up to 10 years for each ketamine-related count, and up to 20 years in federal prison for each records falsification count.

Iwamasa and alleged drug dealer Eric Fleming will face up to 15 years and 25 years, respectively, when they are sentenced in their federal cases.

Chavez, moreover, has been charged in an information pursuant to a plea agreement and will be arraigned on August 30. At sentencing, he will face up to 10 years in federal prison.