Sammy Obeid, the US comedian, claimed he was detained in Japan and refused entry, though he had shows scheduled there. Obeid shared his experience via a string of posts on X.
Japanese authorities have not issued a statement on the matter at the time of writing. The comedian appeared to blame Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for him being denied entry to Japan, but there is no substantiation to back this claim. “Everyone I asked in the process was not able to get me the needed sponsorship. Also no one in Japan is paying me directly. Tickets are collected through a third party, US based app. But I was not. And yea it’s on me for not seeing this coming. But given everything I knew at the time, this was the best I could do to try to put on a show for the size crowd I have in Japan,” the comedian detailed.
He also claimed his luggage was searched for ‘weapons and drugs’, and that he was kept in solitary confinement for 22 hours, during which time, he had no access to food or shower.
“The Japanese government denied me entry and held me in solitary confinement for 24 hours over a standup comedy show with 40 attendees,” he wrote. The comedian said he was being sent back to the US and apologized to his fans. So everyone I consulted with said I would be fine, as I had on previous trips.
