Chinese ex-pop star Kris Wu jailed for 13 years for rape

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Chinese ex-pop star Kris Wu jailed for 13 years for rape

A Chinese-Canadian ex-pop star Kris Wu has been jailed for 13 years after being found guilty of rape, a Chinese court said Friday night. Wu was originally shot to fame as a member of K-pop boyband EXO before leaving to launch a successful solo career as singer, actor, model and variety show judge.

A year ago, nineteen-year-old student Du Meizhu accused Wu of date-rapping her when she was 17, resulting in a barrage of public criticism and luxury brands dropping deals with him.

The court in Beijing's Chaoyang district said that Wu was sentenced to 11 years and six months of imprisonment for rape and imprisonment of one year and ten months for the crime of gathering people to commit adultery. The defendant Wu Yifan Kris Wu had forced sexual relations with three women at his residence from November to December 2020 when they were drunk and did not know or not able to resist, and was sentenced to 11 years and six months of imprisonment for rape.

He will serve a 13 year term before being deported, it added.

The saga has evoked China's MeToo movement, where a wave of women came forward in 2018 voicing their experiences of sexual harassment and sometimes involving powerful public figures.

One of the most bankable stars in China was Wu.

Brands including Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, L'Oreal Men and Porsche suspended their partnerships with Wu over the case.

In the wake of the initial accusations, more victims have spoken out online accusing Wu's staff of predatory behaviour including inviting them to boozy karaoke parties.

The law is the lowest standard of morals on Weibo, as users complained about the high legal threshold for victims to prove sexual assault in court.