She has had several major scandals.
Koreaboo
1 hour ago
Erika Sawajiri is a Japanese actress, singer, and model who rose to fame in the early 2000s after starring in the heartwrenching J-Drama 1 Litre of Tears. She has also repeatedly made headlines for her personal life.
Erika Sawajiri in “1 Litre of Tears” | Fuji TV
In 2007, Erika went on hiatus after an attitude controversy negatively impacted her public image. During the premiere for Closed Note, Erika, who was the film’s lead actress, tersely answered reporters’ questions and seemed less than thrilled about the movie. She was subsequently criticized for disrespecting the film’s staff and her co-stars. She returned to the screen in 2012.
| IMDb
In 2019, Erika was arrested and incarcerated for drug possession. She reportedly confessed to using drugs, including marijuana, LSD, and cocaine, for ten years, since she was 19 years old. The Tokyo District Court sentenced Erika to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, on February 6, 2020. Her acting career resumed in 2024.
Additionally, Erika also made headlines in the past for her controversial marriage to her now ex-husband, Tsuyoshi Takahashi, who is 22 years her senior. They married in 2009 and divorced in 2013.
Erika Sawajiri Reportedly Made Her Husband Pay for Sex If They Did It More Than 5 Times a Month
According to a report by FRIDAY, a Japanese weekly magazine, 39-year-old Erika is now in a serious relationship with a non-celebrity man 14 years her junior.
| FRIDAY
The 25-year-old man reportedly lives on a remote Japanese island nearly 1,000 kilometres away, making their relationship a long-distance one. According to FRIDAY, Erika spent the New Year holidays with her alleged boyfriend, and the couple could get married this year, as early as spring.
| FRIDAY