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Former Emily in Paris star and Tony Award–nominated playwright Jeremy O. Harris was detained in Japan in December 2025 on drug allegations.
According to Reuters, Harris was arrested at Naha Airport on Okinawa on November 16, 2025, on suspicion that he tried to smuggle drugs into Japan. A spokesperson for Okinawa Regional Customs alleged that one of the organization’s officers found the synthetic narcotic MDMA in Harris’ possession.
Us Weekly reached out to his representative for comment.
Harris was a recurring guest on Emily in Paris’ second and third seasons as fashion designer Grégory Elliott Duprée, in addition to appearing on Gossip Girl and What We Do in the Shadows and coproducing season 2 of Euphoria. His 2018 play, Slave Play, received a record-setting 12 nominations at the Tony Awards.
Keep scrolling for more information on Harris’ arrest.
What Happened to Jeremy O. Harris?
An Okinawa Regional Customs representative told Reuters that Jeremy O. Harris flew from Britain to Taiwan before attempting to enter Okinawa for a sightseeing trip on November 16, 2025. As he went through a customs check, an agent allegedly found 0.78 grams of crystal that contained MDMA — a synthetic drug also known as molly or ecstasy.
He was detained for allegedly violating Japan’s Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act, with prosecutors initiating the process to formally charge Harris on December 4, 2025. He has remained in custody in Tomigusuku, Japan, since his November 16, 2025, arrest, as of publication. It is not yet known if he has entered a plea.
The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Harris was scheduled to appear at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia in December 2025 to promote Erupcja, the road movie he cowrote and stars in with pop star Charli XCX. While the festival has not commented on Harris’ status, he has been removed from all promotional material.
Harris has yet to make any public comment on his arrest.
Who Is Jeremy O. Harris?
Harris graduated from the prestigious Yale School of Drama in 2019 with a Master of Fine Arts degree.
He received his first mainstream success as a playwright with 2018’s Slave Play, a powerful examination of race and trauma. Slave Play’s 12 Tony Award nods set a new record for most nominations for a non-musical play in 2019. (The record was broken by Stereophonic’s 13 nominations in 2024.)
Following his Broadway success, Harris signed a development deal with HBO and joined Euphoria season 2 as a coproducer. He cowrote 2021’s Colman Domingo–starring black comedy Zola, which earned seven nominations at the 37th Independent Spirit Awards in 2022.
He next partnered with pop star Charli XCX to cowrite and star in the upcoming road movie Erupcja. The movie — which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025 — revolves around two childhood friends (Charli XCX and Lena Góra) whose reunion as adults is marred by a volcanic eruption.
Jeremy O Harris in June 2025. Dominik Bindl/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival
As an actor, Harris played fashion designer Grégory Elliot Duprée in four episodes of Emily in Paris. He guest-starred as himself in the 2021 revival of Gossip Girl, and has also appeared on What We Do in the Shadows. Harris had a supporting role in Talia Ryder and Jacob Elordi’s surreal 2023 comedy-drama The Sweet East, as well.
How Strict Are Japan’s Drug Laws?
Japan has some of the strictest drug laws in the developed world. In Japan, there are separate classes for drug offenses — marijuana, stimulants, opioids and a fourth classification for “narcotics and psychotropics.”
Harris has been accused of violating the Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Law, which was enacted in 1953.
The U.S. Embassy in Japan warns American travelers to avoid even bringing “many common medications and over-the-counter drugs” into Japan because they could be illegal.
“It does not matter if you have a valid U.S. prescription for a medicine/drug which is illegal in Japan: if you bring it with you, you risk arrest and detention by the Japanese authorities,” the Embassy states.
Harris is not the first celebrity to run afoul of Japan’s strict drug laws. DJ David Morales was arrested at Fukuoka airport in October 2018 when officials allegedly found 0.3 grams in MDMA in his possession, according to Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun. Morales denied knowingly carrying the MDMA.
A statement released by the DJ’s management more than two weeks after his detainment confirmed that he was finally released without charge.
“We’re delighted to confirm that David Morales has been released without charge,” their statement read. “David is well and has asked that we pass on his love and gratitude to all those who have shown their support. We will not be making any further comment.”
Perhaps the most famous celebrity arrest in Japan took place when Paul McCartney was detained in Tokyo in 1980 for allegedly trying to bring 219 grams of marijuana into the country. The former Beatle was held for nine days before being deported from the country without a formal charge.
Has Jeremy O. Harris Been Released?
Japanese authorities confirmed on December 9, 2025, that Harris had been released after three weeks in custody, per The New York Times. A spokesperson for Tomishiro Police Station in Okinawa’s Tomigusuku City said that Harris was released one day prior on December 8 but declined to say whether he had been charged. A rep for Harris told the outlet that the playwright was released without charges and will stay in Japan to work on an upcoming project.
