Kris Wu, who has been arrested by Beijing police, was accused last week by 19-year-old student Du Meizhu of date-raping her when she was 17.
CHINESE-Canadian pop megastar Kris Wu has been detained on suspicion of rape, Beijing police reported last Sunday (August 1).
Officers said they launched an investigation after Wu, one of China's biggest celebrities, was reported by internet users for having "deceived young women multiple times into having sexual relations."
Wu was accused last week by 19-year-old student Du Meizhu of date-raping her when she was 17, drawing widespread condemnation of the singer on Chinese social media and leading to several luxury brands dropping deals with him.
Louis Vuitton was the latest house to distance itself from the star, announcing that it would be suspending its relationship with Wu on Weibo. Other brands, including Porsche and Bulgari, have followed suit. Lancôme and Kiehl’s have also removed mentions of the singer from their social media accounts.
The scandal evokes China's #MeToo movement sparked by Chinese feminists in 2018, in which women were empowered to voice their experiences of sexual harassment -- sometimes involving powerful public figures.
Wu originally shot to fame as a member of the K-pop boyband EXO, before leaving in 2014 to launch a successful solo career as a singer, actor, model and variety show judge.
Wu made his Hollywood debut in the 2017 sci-fi film "XXX: Return of Xander Cage".
Since Du's accusations, more alleged victims have spoken out online, accusing Wu's staff of predatory behavior such as inviting them to boozy karaoke parties.
In 2017, Wu ranked 10th on the Forbes China celebrity list, with earnings of close to US$29 million. His ranking rose to eighth last year.
Chinese state media have indicated that Wu’s celebrity status and foreign citizenship are unlikely to help his case.
“Foreign nationality is not a talisman, no matter how famous he is, there is no immunity. Whoever breaks the law will be punished by law,” said the Communist Party- owned People’s Daily on a social media posting on Saturday that referred to the case.
Tags: #KrisWu, #China, #rapeallegations, #MeToo