Jeremy O. Harriswhose boundariesSlave gamereceived a record number of Tony nominations, was detained in Japan for nearly three weeks after his arrest on drug smuggling charges at an Okinawa airport.
The multi-hyphenate writer, whose work spans Broadway, HBO's Euphoria and the critically acclaimed feature Zola, was stopped by customs officials at Naha Airport on Nov. 16 after less than a gram of MDMA was allegedly found in his bag. according to Reuters. Harris, 36, has remained in custody since his arrest under Japan's strict drug laws.
On Thursday, local prosecutors received a criminal complaint from Okinawa Customs officials, moving the case forward for formal charges. Authorities have not said whether Harris has addressed the charges. Diversity has reached out to Harris' representatives for comment. It remains unclear whether he has secured legal representation in Japan.
The Yale School of Drama graduate traveled to the resort island from the UK with a stopover in Taiwan, reportedly for tourism purposes. Known for its beaches and located about 930 miles southwest of Tokyo, Okinawa is a popular holiday destination.
Harris emerged as one of the theater's most provocative voices in “Slave,” which interrogates questions of race, gender and power dynamics on its way to becoming the most Tony-nominated play in Broadway history. In addition to theatre, he has had a successful screen career, co-writing A24's Zola with director Janicza Bravo and starring in Olivier Assayas' Irma Vep for HBO. He is also working on an adaptation of Brit Bennett's novel The Vanishing Half.
Japan has one of the strictest anti-drug policies in developed countries, prosecuting even small cases of drug possession. The country's punishments, although harsh, fall short of the death sentences handed down in other Asian countries, including China and Singapore.
Other entertainment figures have faced similar problems in Japan: Grammy-winning DJ David Morales was arrested in 2018 at Fukuoka airport on suspicion of possessing MDMA, and Paul McCartney's arrest for marijuana in Tokyo in 1980 led to a lengthy travel ban.
