Paul McCartney issued a tongue-in-cheek response following his arrest in Japan back in 1980.
The superstar Beatle was arrested in Japan in 1980 for possession of cannabis. After arriving in Tokyo, authorities found 219 grams of the controlled substance in Paul's suitcase.
The penalty for possession in Japan was much harsher than in the USA at the time, seven years of hard labour. However, McCartney was deported after spending ten days in a Japanese jail, he believes his 'celebrity' helped him get away so leniently.
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Speaking about the incident, Paul McCartney said: "When the fellow pulled it out of the suitcase, he looked more embarrassed than me. I think he just wanted to put it back in and forget the whole thing, you know, but there it was. I didn’t try to hide it. I had just come from America and still had the American attitude that marijuana isn’t that bad.
"I didn’t realize just how strict the Japanese attitude is. I made a confession on the night I was arrested and apologized for breaking Japanese law, but they still wanted to know everything. I had to go through my whole life story—school, father’s name, income, even my medal from the Queen."
In 2004 the music legend said the cannabis was 'too good' to flush down the toilet, so he decided to take it with him. When asked about the incident at a red carpet event, McCartney said: "I don't think what I do in the privacy of my own room matters."
He then jokingly added: "Never again." Before offering a big wink to the cameras.
