[gtranslate]
News

K-pop star Kris Wu detained on suspicion of rape

AP

by Ana-Sofia Petrovic

Image: BBC

Image: BBC

AP

by Ana-Sofia Petrovic

Beijing police have detained K-pop star Kris Wu on suspicion of rape, following allegations he lured young girls into sexual relationships.

A student, 19, recently accused Kris Wu, 30, of raping her at a party when she was 17 and intoxicated.

She alleged that Wu’s then-manager told her she was being considered for the lead female role in an upcoming music video.

Image: Global Times

“I don’t believe this is just my own personal matter. You can even say that this is a problem with the atmosphere in China’s entertainment circle”, she said in an interview with NetEase.

In response to the allegation, Wu said in a social media statement:

“I only met [the 19-year-old making the allegation] once at a friend’s gathering, I didn’t ply her with alcohol … I have never ­‘coerced women into sex’ or engaged in ‘date rape’“.

24 women in total have come forward with serious allegations against the singer, including claims that he similarly coerced them into sex with false promises of jobs.

He has denied all accusations.

In a statement on Weibo, Beijing police said:

“Wu Yifan [Wu’s Chinese Name], 30, Canadian nat­ionality, is now criminally detained in accordance with the law by Chaoyang branch of Beijing public security bureau on suspicion of rape”.

Wu is a Chinese-Canadian artist, who grew up between Vancouver and Guangzhou.

He rose to fame as a member of South Korean-Chinese boyband EXO. Currently, he works as a solo artist and actor, having starred in largely successful Chinese movies, including Mr. Six and Journey to the West.

Wu is the largest figure in China to be detained following #MeToo allegations.

On Saturday, the news was the most searched topic on Chinese social media platform, Weibo. The platform has since deleted the official accounts of Wu and his label.

Brands such as Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, L’Oreal Men and Porsche have suspended their partnerships with Wu following the accusations.

A spokesperson for Bulgari said the company “attaches great importance to the incident … and decided to terminate all related collaborations with Wu from today.”

Related