Kris Wu photo:CFP
As several brands cut ties with Chinese-Canadian pop star Kris Wu who was accused of coercing minors to have sex with him, an industry association has classified Wu as a "tainted" and "immoral" celebrity, urging the industry to suspend cooperation with him.
Industry observers reached by the Global Times on Wednesday interpreted the notice as a "force-out" notice, meaning it's a ban for Kris Wu from the industry.
Youth Committee of China Television Drama Production Industry Association said in a notice released on Tuesday via its official WeChat account that members who are cooperating with Kris Wu should timely respond to reduce losses, and those who are in the process of working with him should suspend their cooperation.
The youth committee also said it will strictly implement requirements of the National Radio and Television Administration by taking a zero-tolerance policy against immoral and tainted celebrities.
The notice was found deleted on its official WeChat account as of press time.
The association, affiliated with National Radio and Television Administration, has nearly 500 members, all of which are the most powerful backbone enterprises in the production of TV dramas in China. Their output and prime time broadcasts account for 90 percent of the country's total, the official website of the association said.
Because it is an organization affiliated with National Radio and Television Administration, Wu's ban is equivalent to an industry ban, an industry observer told the Global Times on Wednesday. Another industry observer said even though the notice doesn't have legal validity, members of the association must still comply.
Tencent, Chinese streaming platform iQiyi, film company Huayi Brothers, Beijing Enlight Media, and Zhuhai Great Aim Group are among the members of the association.
Wu was accused by Du Meizhu, who claims to be Wu's girlfriend, of luring young women into sex by claiming he was "recruiting actresses." He was also accused of using his fans group leaders to contact good-looking female fans and pressuring girls into submission by emphasizing his influence in the entertainment industry. In the wake of Du's disclosure, some others have exposed their chat histories with Wu.
Committee members should do background research before employing actors, the youth committee added. Members are also encouraged to report to the committee any suspicious behaviors, the committee said in the notice.
One of Kris Wu's to-be-broadcast costume drama The Golden Hairpin in which Wu is the male protagonist is likely to be postponed. The drama was originally scheduled to be broadcast on Tencent Video in the third quarter this year and obtained its distribution license on April 19 this year.
Many netizens are boycotting Kris Wu and some have urged legal intervention as the rumors continued to spread online. Several major luxury brands including Bvlgari have cut ties with Kris Wu.
Over the years, some celebrities such as Wu Xiubo and Zheng Shuang also suffered the same fate and lost commercial advertising endorsements or cooperation with major companies.
Actor Wu Xiubo found himself at the center of a scandal at the end of 2018 when Chinese actress Chen Yulin claimed that he was having an affair with her.
