American playwright and actor Jeremy O. Harris arrested in Japan for alleged ecstasy trafficking

Prominent American playwright and actor Jeremy O. Harris, known for his Tony Award-nominated “Slave Play,” was arrested in Japan on suspicion of trafficking the psychedelic drug ecstasy, officials said Saturday.

Officers at Naha Airport on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa arrested Harris on November 16 for an alleged violation of customs law for possessing 0.78 grams, or 0.0275 ounces, of the crystallized drug, also known as MDMA, in a container in a tote bag he was carrying, according to Okinawa Regional Customs spokesperson, Tatsunori Fukuda.

Harris, 36, had left Heathrow Airport in London two days earlier and transited through Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan before arriving in Naha for sightseeing, Fukuda said. Okinawa is a popular resort destination with a mild climate throughout the year.

Fukuda said Harris was arrested at the scene and taken into custody by Tomishiro police, who filed a criminal complaint with the Naha District Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday for further investigation and possible indictment. 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 intended for his personal use. They are still investigating, Fukuda said, while adding that whether Harris had made any comments about the matter could not be released.

There was no immediate comment from Harris’ representatives. Harris has not publicly commented on his arrest.

CBS News has contacted the U.S. Embassy in Japan for additional comment.

Japanese criminal procedures allow investigators to hold a suspect in custody for up to 23 days before being charged, and pretrial detention can be extended if the accused exercises their right of silence or denies the charges, a practice widely criticized as “hostage justice.”

People found guilty of drug trafficking in Japan face a sentence of several 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. It premiered on Broadway in 2018, sparking controversy and even a petition to stop the production with its provocative mix of racial, class and sexual taboos. It moved to Broadway the following year, earning a Tony nomination for Best Play, but did not win an award.

The play returned for a short run on Broadway in December 2021.

“We haven’t had enough opportunities to reflect who we are to the world and to ourselves and to think about what that reflection means, and so that’s what ‘Slave Play’ can do for people,” Harris said. CBS New York in 2021.

In addition to small acting roles, he appeared as himself in the rebooted “Gossip Girl” and was a co-producer on several episodes of the hit HBO series “Euphoria.”