Playwright Jeremy O. Harris has been released from police custody in Japan, where he was arrested three weeks ago on suspicion of trying to bring illegal drugs into the country.
Harris was taken into custody on Nov. 16 when he flew into Okinawa from Taiwan. Upon his arrival, Japanese customs officials found 780 milligrams of ecstasy (aka MDMA) in his carry-on, an amount roughly equivalent to seven or eight recreational doses.
He was arrested and held on suspicion of illegal drug smuggling, and it was several weeks before he was referred to local prosecutors for allegedly violating the Customs Act.
A spokesman for the Tomishiro Police Station in Okinawa’s Tomigusuku City confirmed Tuesday that Harris was released the day before. When his arrest was initially reported, it was unknown if charges had been filed, and the Tomishiro Police declined to confirm either way this week. A representative for Harris, however, told the New York Times he has not been charged.
If he had been, the playwright could have faced up to seven years in prison for violating Japan’s drug regulations. He reportedly plans to stay in Japan for the time being so that he can research and work on a new project.
Harris received acclaim and attention for his 2018 play, “Slave Play,” a three-act drama about race, sex, trauma and interracial power dynamics. The play garnered a staggering 12 Tony nominations. In 2020, coming off the success of “Slave Play,” Harris co-wrote the Janicza Bravo-directed A24 black comedy “Zola.”
As an actor, Harris has played Grégory Elliot Duprée in Netflix’s “Emily in Paris” and Matthew in “The Sweet East.” He also served as a co-producer on Season 2 of HBO’s “Euphoria,” after having worked as a consultant on the HBO drama’s first season. In addition to his own work, Harris has been a vocal advocate for increased diversity and inclusion in the playwriting and theater spaces.
In October 2021, he famously pulled “Slave Play” from the Mark Taper Forum in objection to the absence of female talent in the theater’s lineup that year.
This year, Harris served as the creative director of the 2025 edition of the Williamstown Theater Festival.
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