Stardust seeks to sack Sawajiri?

Management agency Stardust Promotion is reportedly considering the dismissal of actress Erika Sawajiri (23) for breach of contract. Sawajiri's conduct has long caused headaches for the company, and it seems that they have decided to finally put an end to it.

Sources say that Stardust began talks of canceling Sawajiri's contract earlier this month. The actress still has some time remaining on her contract, and she is said to be cast in a major movie project. However, the agency has apparently determined that she is guilty of a serious breach of contract, and they do not plan to wait until the contract's expiration.

When asked about the story, Stardust replied with "no comment."

Sawajiri has long had a reputation of a difficult personality, earning her the nickname of "Erika-sama." In 2007, she was heavily criticized by the media for her unprofessional attitude during a PR event for the movie "Closed Note." Around the same time, she was also discovered to be in a relationship with multimedia creator Tsuyoshi Takashiro (45), whom she married this past January.

Despite her career being mostly quiet since the "Closed Note" incident, Sawajiri has been in the newspapers several times. One recent incident happened in July, when she visited Amami Oshima for the solar eclipse. While there, she was filmed operating a motorized bicycle, and it was later noticed that the bicycle was not properly registered, as it should have been.

Sawajiri also caused trouble for Stardust in February, when she visited New York and participated in the promotion of a popular fashion brand without going through her agency.

In addition, rumors have surfaced that Sawajiri frequently used drugs while in Europe with Takashiro. In particular, they are said to have often attended drug parties in Ibiza. There are further reports that while they were at Amami Oshima, they went to an event that Noriko Sakai and Yuichi Takaso also attended.

Although Sawajiri's dismissal is not official yet, it appears likely to happen. This would have a significant effect on her career, though she may be able to continue independently.

Source: Tokyograph/ HPriest