Chinese entertainers will level to 2021 because the yr the business went via a seismic transformation.
A quantity of critical accusations in opposition to some of the area’s most well-known individuals coincided with a Chinese authorities crackdown on the showbiz business, which it claimed was “misleading” the younger era.
While it’s common for pop stars to be punished for drug use or tax evasion, the crackdown on entertainers this yr was thorough, and the online was vast, famously together with a push to ban “effeminate men” from turning into well-known.
Celebrities had been detained, arrested or blacklisted for incidents that ranged from grievous crimes to violations of cultural sensitivities.
These are essentially the most high-profile movie star scandals that triggered a public backlash, and in some instances punishment by authorities.
Wang Leehom
The divorce saga of Wang Leehom and his spouse Lee Jinglei rocked the Asian Internet simply as 2021 was coming to a detailed. As the divorce turned extra contentious, the accusations went public.
Lee publicly accused Wang of emotional abuse, infidelity, solicitation of intercourse staff and transferring possession of their joint property to himself and his household after marriage.
Her social media posts created a bigger dialog concerning the sacrifices ladies make once they “become housewives”.
Wang then agreed to switch a NT$480 million (RM72mil) condominium to Lee and introduced he would “temporarily stop work”.
The mainland’s Communist Party additionally appeared to touch upon the scandal when its inner monitoring physique revealed an article about poor movie star ethics that didn’t immediately title Wang, however appeared to wink at his behaviour by referring to “the recent case of the collapse of a celebrity’s image”.
Kris Wu
The widespread movie star crackdown coincided with the case of Kris Wu, who was one of China’s most well-known males when he was accused by a number of ladies of date rape.
Du Meizhu, 19, accused Wu of raping her, inspiring different ladies, some of whom had been minors, to come ahead with comparable tales. He was accused of utilizing his energy to “recruit actresses” earlier than getting the ladies drunk and taking benefit of them.
In August, Wu was formally charged with rape and stays in detention. He might face 10 years in jail if convicted.
Zheng Shuang
2021 was a yr to overlook for Zheng Shuang, who has been caught up in scandals since January when her ex-boyfriend accused her of abandoning their two youngsters born to a surrogate mom in the US after they broke up.
In August, she was fined 299 million yuan (RM205mil) for tax evasion as a result of she signed one contract to give to tax authorities and one other contract that contained her actual wage, a scheme referred to as a “yin and yang contract”.
She was a notable instance of the near-complete web blacklist that always accompanied this yr’s scandals. Her Weibo account was completely closed, and she or he was faraway from the credit of her earlier work. Various manufacturers, together with Prada, additionally abandoned her.
Zhang Zhehan
Chinese actor Zhang Zhehan is notable on this record as a result of he was blacklisted for violating political sensitivities when a quantity of pictures emerged of him posing outdoors Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine in 2018.
The Yasukuni Shrine is a extremely controversial monument that comprises the memorials of convicted conflict criminals and is seen in China as a reminder of Japan’s brutal wartime previous.
While Zhang has denied getting into the shrine, the pictures sparked public outrage, and over 20 manufacturers reportedly dropped him as a consultant after the scandal. Once one of the brightest younger stars in China, his profession seems to be hanging by a thread.
Alan Tam
In an internet submit in November, an nameless man alleged that his 23-year-old girlfriend, who’s from the mainland, was having an affair with Canto-pop icon Alan Tam, 71. The accusation included pictures displaying a person resembling Tam placing on his pants in a room.
The submit quickly went viral however was deleted just a few days later. Tam and his company instantly refuted the allegations in an announcement.
Earlier this week, he advised Hong Kong media the person in the pictures was not him. His work didn’t seem to be affected, however he has met fierce public criticism in consequence.
Li Yundi
China’s “piano prince” Li Yundi was briefly detained by police in October for hiring a intercourse employee in Beijing, which is prohibited in the nation.
A primary prizewinner on the prestigious International Chopin Piano Competition in 2000, Li was quickly condemned by official media, abandoned by his enterprise companions and boycotted by the nation’s musicians together with performing arts associations.
It is unknown how lengthy he was detained however beneath Chinese legislation, individuals could be detained for up to 15 days and fined 5,000 yuan (RM3,300) for soliciting intercourse staff.
However, some individuals got here to the defence of Li, a proficient and beloved musician, after the incident, saying the punishment didn’t match the crime.
Henry Huo
The 30-year-old star of Call Me By Fire introduced his retirement from showbiz after his ex-girlfriend, a dancer named Chen Lu, claimed Huo was a serial cheater all through their nine-year relationship.
The accusations struck a chord as a result of Chen mentioned she stop her job to marry Huo and begin a household with him.
She wrote on-line: “He said that he thinks he can find a better girl, and that he is doing me a favour by being with me because of his status.”
Huo made a public apology amid the general public backlash.
Lucas Wong
Also referred to as Wong Yuk Hei, the Hong Kong Okay-pop star was accused by a number of ladies of leveraging his stardom to sleep round.
He apologised for his behaviour on Instagram and mentioned he would take a break from his profession, which incorporates membership in a number of bands, together with WayV, SuperM and NCT. He additionally requested for an opportunity to apologise in individual to the individuals he had damage. – South China Morning Post
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