Playwright Jeremy O Harris Freed After Japanese Detention
Celebrated writer Jeremy O Harris has left a Japanese prison after being held on suspicion of drug smuggling. Detained in November, he was released without charge and intends to remain in Japan for his work.
Jeremy O Harris, the acclaimed playwright, has been released from custody in Japan following his arrest in connection with alleged drug smuggling. Authorities in Okinawa confirmed that Harris was apprehended on 16 November at Naha Airport, where customs officials reportedly found 0.78 grams of a crystal substance containing MDMA in a tote bag. Harris had arrived in Okinawa for a holiday, travelling from the United Kingdom with a stopover in Taiwan.
He was detained under the country’s Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act and spent nearly three weeks in a detention facility. According to a spokesperson at the Tomishiro Police Station in Tomigusuku City, Harris was released on 8 December. No formal charges were brought against him.
Detention and Release
During his time in custody, Harris’s representatives maintained his innocence. A spokesperson stated that he had been freed without any charges.
Harris plans to stay in Japan, despite the recent arrest, for “writing and researching” purposes for an upcoming project.
The incident, while disruptive, has not deterred him from continuing his professional activities in the country.
Career and Recent Projects
Harris is best known for his 2018 play, Slave Play, which received critical acclaim and was nominated for a dozen Tony Awards. His creative reach extends to film and television, having co-written the screenplay for the A24 production Zola and co-produced several episodes of the second series of HBO’s Euphoria.
Most recently, Harris took on a role in Erupcja, a film directed by Pete Ohs and starring Charli XCX. The film premiered at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah earlier this month, where Harris had been expected to appear. Despite the recent events, he remains focused on his ongoing and future projects.