Actress Erika Sawajiri, 24, is continuing her comeback in Japan’s entertainment world by appearing on the cover of the May issue of GLAMOROUS to mark the 5th anniversary of the magazine.In a glossy 24-page inside spread, Sawajiri speaks candidly about her attitude toward the media and rumors of her drug use.
Sawajiri, once wildly popular, fell out of favor in 2007 due to problematic behavior. In a well-publicized incident, she was rude to people around her during a film promotion event, an incident which discouraged the industry from hiring her.
Sawajiri took a leave of absence from her former production company, Oscar Promotions, for eight months beginning in January 2009 after getting married. She said she wanted to study abroad in London.
Shortly after, rumors started circulating that Sawajiri may have been experimenting with drugs. Oscar Promotions dropped her last September for reasons that remain unclear. She then showed up in Spain.
After returning to Japan, Sawajiri held a “comeback” press conference in Tokyo in March. But she failed to settle a fresh argument with the press which started after her new agency refused reporters access to information on her website unless they promise in writing, for example, not to make public any information or comments involving her privacy.
Meanwhile, rumors have persisted that Sawajiri was spending time with actress Noriko Sakai, who was arrested for drug possession on last August.
In the GLAMOROUS interview, Sawajiri defends her past attitude toward the mass media and denies any involvement with drugs. “I’ve never heard of Noripi (Sakai). I’ve never touched drugs. I’ve never been suspected or questioned by police,” she states.
Regarding the media, Sawajiri says, “They were spreading these rumors about me at the same time Japan’s government was changing hands last summer. There were more important things to be covering than me at the time, weren’t there?”
japantoday
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