Kris Wu Threatened With 10 Years In Prison For Rape, China Firmly Bans Celebrity Worship

JAKARTA - Chinese-Canadian star Kris Wu is set to face sentencing on rape charges following a closed-door trial in Beijing on Friday with a possible sentence of 3 to 10 years in prison. Kris Wu was arrested and formally charged in August last year after allegations of rape were made in late July by 18-year-old Du Meizhu who is a beauty industry influencer.

The woman used social media to publicly reveal that the musician and actor had raped her when she was 17 and when she was drunk. Du Meizhu later also accused him of doing the same to other young women, including two minors.

In response to the news, Kris Wu denied the accusations at the time and the police initially seemed to be siding with Kris. But two weeks later, the Chaoyang District People's Procuratorate in Beijing issued an official statement saying that it had approved Wu's arrest following a lawful investigation.

Quoted from Variety, Sunday, June 12, in China, the crime of rape usually carries a penalty of between 3 and 10 years in prison. In more egregious cases, the sentence can be life imprisonment or even the death penalty.

Meanwhile, group immoral behavior, which is defined as sexual intercourse involving three or more people over the age of 16, carries a penalty of up to 5 years in prison. At the time the lawsuit was made, it was also reported that the court could also decide to deport Kris.

Quoted from ANTARA, Kris was born in China, but he has Canadian citizenship and has become one of China's biggest entertainment stars.

His name also skyrocketed after joining the K-pop group EXO. The media and official organizations last year described Kris' arrest as a major victory and an example of China's strong rule of law.

It is also a further opportunity and effort to call for a purge of toxic culture, money, and celebrity worship. Following confirmation of his arrest last year, Kris was swiftly canceled by streaming platforms, broadcasters and by local and international brands he worked with.

Previously, the China Entertainment Association announced a list of 88 artists deemed to have violated morals on Tuesday, November 23, one of them was Kris Wu. These 88 people are prohibited from appearing in public or live streaming where currently digital services are being favored by the Chinese people. According to BuzzFeed, this list was created so that the entertainment industry does not welcome artists who are trying to start their careers on other platforms.