Acclaimed American playwright and actor Jeremy O. Harris, best known for his Tony Award-nominated “Slave Play,” was arrested in Japan on suspicion of smuggling the psychedelic drug “ecstasy,” officials said Saturday.
Officers at Naha Airport on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa arrested Harris on Nov. 16 on charges of allegedly violating customs laws for possessing 0.78 grams, or 0.0275 ounces, of the crystallized drug, also known as MDMA, in a container in a large bag he was carrying, according to Okinawa Regional Customs spokesman Tatsunori Fukuda.
Harris, 36, had flown out of London's Heathrow Airport two days earlier and transited to Taiwan's Taoyuan International Airport before arriving in Naha for sightseeing, Fukuda said. Okinawa is a popular resort destination with mild weather all year round.
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Fukuda said Harris was arrested on the spot and taken into custody by Toshiro police, who filed a criminal complaint with the Naha District Prosecutor's Office on Thursday for further investigation and possible charges. CBS News has reached out to Tomishiro police for additional comment.
Japanese authorities found no other drugs in his luggage and believe the MDMA was for his personal use. They are still investigating, Fukuda said, adding that it could not be disclosed whether Harris made any comments on the case.
Representatives for Harris had no immediate comment. Harris has not publicly commented on his arrest.
CBS News has reached out to the U.S. Embassy in Japan for additional comment.
Japanese criminal procedures allow investigators to hold a suspect for up to 23 days before arraignment, and pretrial detention can be extended if the accused exercises his right to remain silent or denies the charges. The practice is widely criticized as “hostage justice”.
Those convicted of drug smuggling in Japan could face years in prison.
Harris burst onto the art scene with Slave Play, written while he was still a graduate student at the Yale School of Drama. The play premiered off-Broadway in 2018, sparking controversy and even a petition to cancel the production with its provocative mix of racial, class and sexual taboos. The following year it moved to Broadway, receiving a Tony nomination for Best Play but not winning the award.
The play returned briefly to Broadway in December 2021.
“We haven't had enough opportunities to reflect on who we are to the world and to ourselves and to reflect on what that reflection means, and that's what 'Slave Play' can do for people,” Harris said. CBS New York in 2021.
In addition to small acting roles, he played himself in the rebooted Gossip Girl and co-produced several episodes of the hit HBO series Euphoria.
