Kris Wu fans — and detractors — woke up to huge news this morning: Law enforcement in Beijing has detained the pop idol for suspected rape, according to an announcement released late yesterday evening on Weibo by police in the city’s Chaoyang district.
According to a translation from State-backed publication Global Times, the Weibo post reads: “Wu (male, 30 years old, Canadian national) is suspected of rape after police investigation, and has been detained by [the] Public Security Bureau at Chaoyang district in accordance with the law, and the investigation work is being further carried out.”
Authorities moved against the Chinese-Canadian star in the wake of accusations made last month by 19-year-old woman Du Meizhu, who accused Kris Wu of predatory sexual behavior. She also outlined the tactics used by the 30-year-old celebrity to target women and underage girls.
The Weibo announcement from Chaoyang police that Kris Wu has been detained on suspicion of rape. Screengrab via Weibo
Following Du’s claims, more women came forward to share screenshots of their online interactions with Kris Wu. Zhang Dansan, a former member of the girl band SNH48, was one of the women, and she released messages in which Wu asks her if she is still a virgin.
On the morning of July 19, Kris Wu responded to the allegations on Weibo, stating that he had remained silent to avoid interfering with the legal process and referring to Du as a “rumor spreader.” He finished his post by adding, “If I did all these things, no one has to worry — I will go to prison myself.”
In response to last night’s announcement by Chaoyang police, Kris Wu fans — and seemingly anyone with two hands and a heartbeat — flooded onto Weibo to discuss the star’s increasingly serious legal situation.
The top trending hashtag on Weibo this morning, at the time of writing, was #Liuliu apologizes for having supported Wu Yifan#, a reference to the apology by Chinese writer Liu Liu (六六) for previously defending Kris Wu against misconduct allegations. (Kris Wu’s Chinese name is Wu Yifan.)
Netizens also posted under the hashtag #Wu Yifan detained#, with some defending the embattled idol and others calling for swift justice. The hashtag had 1.9 billion views at 10 AM this morning.
“I’m so disappointed! You paved yourself a great career path, but now it leads to prison! The age of money made you and destroyed you! I never dreamed that one day you would become this beast!” wrote one Weibo user.
“Those fans who are still defending Kris Wu, are you psychologically unbalanced? Remember, he’s a criminal,” opined another.
Regardless of what your opinions of the celebrity and his scandals are, one thing seems ever more likely: With Kris Wu now in police custody and under further investigation, the pop idol may soon be defending himself in a much more severe court than the court of public opinion.
Cover image compiled by Matthew Bossons via Pixabay, Wikimedia
