Matthew Perry’s ‘street dealer’ Erik Fleming once managed high-end rehab where man died from overdose

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: As Matthew Perry’s five enablers have been charged with distributing illegal drugs, more chilling details about the individuals are coming to light. 

Recently, The Hollywood Reporter published a report where they claimed that the ‘Friends’ star’s alleged “street dealer” once managed a high-end rehab center where a man died in 2021 due to overdosing. 

In 2021, a man named William Cooney was found unresponsive on the bathroom floor of the Bel-Air treatment center - Red Door - after suffering from fentanyl overdose.

The outlet revealed that when Cooney overdosed, Erik Fleming - who also used to be the broker of Matthew Perry - worked as a program director with the high-end sober living facility. 

In the wake of arrests after Perry’s death, Cooney’s family members now want the authorities to look into his death.

Erik Fleming worked as a program director at sober living facility

Erik Fleming, who has pleaded guilty in Perry’s death, introduced himself as the facility’s program director to Amara Durham, a substance abuse consultant who worked with Cooney on his family’s request. 

While the facility acknowledged that Fleming used to work there, they did not mention anything about his involvement in the death of the 36-year-old businessman. 

The facility said in a statement, “Red Door and its founders bear no responsibility for [Cooney’s] death,” before adding that it operates at “the highest levels of client care.”

William Cooney’s ex-wife sheds light on Erik Fleming

Cooney’s ex-wife Sarah Morse, who shares a young son named Miles with him, is now talking to THR regarding Fleming’s alleged role in her ex-husband’s death. 

She shared that Cooney met Fleming through Brooke Mueller, Charlie Sheen’s ex, who helped the cops to unravel Perry’s case. 

Morse said, “When I look back at when things truly began to unravel, it all started when he met Brooke Mueller, who also struggled with addiction,” before adding, “She introduced him to shortcuts and connections that only fueled their disease further.”

“Through her, he was drawn into a circle of people who masked their greed behind labels like ‘addiction specialists.’ These were sober companions who would drive them to buy drugs, doctors who would prescribe anything, and enablers who would stay silent as long they were paid. William was vulnerable, as addicts are, and they preyed on him,” continued Morse.

The bereaved ex-wife of Cooney continued, “After a relapse, Brooke and her associate Erik Fleming insisted he go to The Red Door rehab. This was a place notorious for its bad reputation, marred by the disgraceful conduct of its owners, Alex Shohet and Bernadine Fried.”

“Up until then, Erik had been introduced vaguely as an assistant, best friend, family acquaintance — apparently godfather to one of her children. He wasn’t known for having any real credentials in health services,” added Morse, while recalling Fleming's introduction to the family. 

“But Erik was, in fact, the program director at The Red Door and had a financial stake in pushing William there,” she added, while continuing, “Despite his family’s objections, William was taken to the rehab by Erik, who personally drove him there.”

William Cooney’s friends and family wonder whether Matthew Perry would have lived if that case was given attention

As five individuals - including two doctors, Ketamine Queen Jasveen Sangha and Perry’s live-in assistant have been arrested apart from Fleming, Cooney’s friends and family are wondering whether Matthew Perry’s fate would have been different if due attention was given to Cooney’s case. 

Durham noted, “My repeated efforts to engage the police to pursue the information I discovered led nowhere.”

She continued, “I had names and phone numbers and provided those to the responding officer. There was no inquiry. In fact, the matter was assigned to the ‘cold case’ department because they ‘had more time available.’”

She added, “I asked for DEA support and was told that the case would go nowhere,” while reflecting, “I now wonder if Matthew Perry would be alive if William’s case had been given the attention that it deserved.”

Morse doubled down, “I hope the Matthew Perry tragedy has spotlighted the deep flaws in our system and the way we approach addiction services, but this fight is bigger than one case. I want justice for William, for our son, for the entire Cooney family, and for every family that has been betrayed by these predatory practices. William’s life mattered.”