Chinese Star Kris Wu Detained by Police for Suspicion of Rape

“XXX: Return of Xander Cage” actor denies the allegations

Kris Wu
Getty

Chinese authorities detained superstar actor-rapper Kris Wu on Saturday evening on suspicion of rape following an accusation that the former

Beijing police issued an alert late Saturday via Weibo: “In response to internet reports ‘Wu Xfan has repeatedly tricked young women into having sex’ and other related issues, after police investigations, Wu Xfan (male, 30, Canadian) has been detained for the suspected crime of rape in accordance with the law.”

The post picked up more than 3 million likes in less than 30 minutes.

Many female victims of sexual assault remain silent as formal complaints with the authorities often end up in a civil lawsuit rather than a criminal one. And cases involving Chinese celebrities are usually drawn out.

This one in particular was sparked by a 19-year-old college student and Chinese influence Du Meizhu, who since July has been posting on social media that Wu allegedly got her drunk at a party and date raped her — and has done that to at least seven other young women encountered through casting calls or from fan groups.

In the previous week, police had ruled that Du and the friend she wrote about on the posts did so to boost their popularity online. The age of consent in China is 14.

Earlier this month, at least 11 companies including Louis Vuitton and Bulgari terminated contracts with Wu after previous accusations triggered more public uproar.

Wu, 30, is one of the most high-profile celebrities in China to face #MeToo accusations. He became successful as a member of K-pop group EXO before starting his solo career as a model, actor and singer earning lucrative endorsements with brands.

He has denied past allegations, writing on social media:

“I only met this woman once on Dec. 5, 2020 while with a group of friends… I declare I have never done anything like ‘selecting concubines,’ coercing women into sex, drugging people to rape them, or engaging with underage girls! If there really had been this behavior, I would certainly willingly go to jail.”

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