Hamasaki Mao was rushed to a Hong Kong emergency room in the early hours of November 1 after allegedly drinking a beverage suspected of having been laced with drugs at a private party, according to a Sports Seoul report citing Hong Kong outlet HK01.
The report said Hamasaki had travelled to Hong Kong after being invited to perform as a DJ. At a private party in Tsim Sha Tsui in the early hours of November 1, she was playing liar’s dice when she drank a beverage suspected of having been laced.
After drinking, Hamasaki suffered convulsions and was unable to move her body, and at one point showed signs of hallucination, according to the report. She was taken by ambulance to an emergency room and had regained consciousness by the morning.
Hong Kong police were called to the scene after a fellow DJ who had attended the event with her reported the incident. Police classified it as a suspected case of administering a poisonous substance with intent to cause harm and opened an investigation, the report said. No arrest had been reported at the time of the report, and no suspect was named.
Through her manager, Hamasaki later said that a suspicious powder had been found in the cup that held the drink. Her manager also said that when venue staff were asked to bring forward the person responsible, they deflected and asked that the matter not be blown up, according to the report.
Rather than voluntary drug use, investigators are treating it as a suspected case in which a drug was administered to her by someone else, although the reports do not identify who that person was or how the substance entered the drink.
Hamasaki previously worked in Japan as an adult video actress before retiring in 2024 and turning to DJing, performing at events around the world. She became known to Korean audiences through her appearance in the 2018 film “High Society.”
The incident spread quickly on social media, where many users urged caution about drinks from strangers at parties. As of the report, the police investigation was continuing and no arrest had been announced.
