TOKYO - Paris Hilton left Japan on Wednesday after lengthy
questioning from airport officials, and following media reports
that the socialite would not be allowed into the country after
pleading guilty to possessing cocaine.
Hilton, 29, had flown into Tokyo on Tuesday for a fashion show
but had been held back by officials at Narita airport so they could
decide whether to allow her into Japan.
In Japan, immigration authorities can deny entry to anyone
convicted of drug-related offences.
Hilton dropped her request to enter the country after
questioning by officials, Kyodo news agency said. A spokesman at
the airport's immigration bureau declined to say whether she had
been barred entry or if she was leaving on her own will.
"I'm going back home. I look forward to being back in Japan in
the future," the celebrity heiress said.
"I'm really tired," she told reporters at the airport.
On Monday in Las Vegas, Hilton pleaded guilty to cocaine
possession following a recent arrest in which she was found to have
0.8 grams of the drug in a purse.
She was given a one-year suspended sentence, fined $2,000 and
ordered to do community service.
Hilton arrived in Japan on a chartered plane with her sister
Nicky. Airport officials asked her to stay at an airport hotel
overnight so she could be questioning, Kyodo said.
She had been due to appear at a fashion show on Wednesday in
Tokyo's Roppongi entertainment district but the show was
canceled.
The former star of reality TV show "The Simple Life" is a member
of the family that founded the Hilton hotel chain, and she has
parlayed her notoriety into a successful career endorsing products
in fashion, fragrances and other industries.
In Japan, she has promoted a popular brand of bags in the past
with her sister.
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jialat!