Jeremy O’Harris was held in Japan (Picture: Chris Chew/UPI/Shutterstock)
Jeremy O. Harris was released on Monday from custody in Japan after being held on drug smuggling allegations, officials have said.
The 36-year-old star, known for his work as a playwright on Slave Play and as an actor in shows like Emily In Paris, was taken into custody last month after being stopped at Naha Airport.
In a statement released earlier this month, an Okinawa Regional Customs spokesperson said that a customs officer had allegedly found 0.78 grams of crystal, which contained synthetic narcotic MDMA, in the playwright’s tote bag.
The American screenwriter was taken into custody on suspicion of violating the country’s Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act.
According to The New York Times, Japanese authorities said on Tuesday that he was released after spending three weeks in detention.
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Harris was released without charge and will stay in Japan while he writes and researches for an upcoming project, a representative told the publication.
The playwright will stay in the country (Picture: Invision)
Harris played Grégory Elliot Duprée in Paris In Paris (Picture: Carole/Netflix)
According to Reuters, Harris was arrested on November 16 on ‘suspicion of attempting to smuggle illegal drugs’ after arriving for a sightseeing trip.
On the Japan Customs website, drug smuggling is described as a ‘serious crime’ for which ‘violators will be severely punished, regardless of who will use the drug as well as its amount’.
Foreign travel advice on Gov.uk reads: ‘There is zero tolerance of drug crime and the penalties are severe.
The playwright and actor has been in custody since November 16 (Picture: Bruce Glikas/WireImage)
Harris was arrested ‘on suspicion of attempting to smuggle illegal drugs’ (Picture: Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)
‘British nationals have been arrested and detained for receiving small quantities through the post or if they test positive when the police raid clubs or bars.
‘British nationals convicted of drug trafficking have received sentences ranging from 6 to 17 years and fines of 3 to 4 million yen [between £14,496 and £19,328].
‘Prisoners in Japan are assigned labour or factory work as part of their sentences.’
Harris is known to Netflix fans for his role as Grégory Elliot Duprée in Emily In Paris, while he also appeared as himself in two episodes of the 2021 Gossip Girl reboot.
He joined the Emily In Paris cast for four episodes across 2021 and 2022 (Picture: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Netflix)
In 2018 and 2019, he appeared in episodes of High Maintenance and What We Do In The Shadows, while he later served as a co-producer on four episodes of Euphoria.
He made waves in the theatre world with his production Slave Play, which he wrote at Yale University and took to Broadway in 2019.
The show proved to be a critical hit, earning a record breaking 12 Tony Award nominations, which was the most ever at the time for a non-musical play.
Metro has contacted a representative for Jeremy O. Harris for comment.
An earlier version of this article was published on December 5.
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