Kris Wu has been sentenced to 13 years in jail after being found guilty on charges including rape
A Chinese court said Friday that Chinese-Canadian ex-pop singer Kris Wu had been found guilty of rape and sentenced to 13 years in prison. This comes after a scandal that received international outrage. Wu was sentenced to “11 years and six months of imprisonment the court in Beijing’s Chaoyang district said, adding he “was also sentenced to imprisonment of one year and ten months for the crime of gathering people to commit
According to the judge, he will complete a 13-year sentence before being deported. Before quitting EXO in 2014 to pursue a successful solo career as a singer, actor, model, and variety show judge, Wu first rose to recognition as a member of the K-pop boyband. Last year, 19-year-old student Du Meizhu accused Wu of raping her during a date when she was 17; as a result, Wu faced a barrage of criticism from the public, and luxury firms canceled their contracts with him.
Following those allegations, more alleged victims came forward online and accused Wu’s staff of engaging in predatory behavior, including bringing them to drunken karaoke parties. The story has brought to mind the #MeToo movement in China, which saw a surge of women come forward in 2018 to share their experiences with sexual harassment—often involving prominent public figures.
Beijing took decisive action to stifle the feminist movement, arresting numerous student activists as a demonstration of its zero-tolerance policy toward those considered potential challenges to its authority. A groundbreaking lawsuit filed by scriptwriter Zhou Xiaoxuan against prominent TV host Zhu Jun was dismissed last year, and an appeal was likewise dismissed in August by a Beijing court. Additionally, Chinese authorities immediately blocked tennis player Peng Shuai’s claims of sexual assault against a senior Communist Party official, despite the fact that her accusations provoked an international outcry last year. Later, Peng denied making the charge.