Chinese-Canadian star Kris Wu has been detained by the Chaoyang District branch of the Beijing police on suspicion of sexual assault.
The 30-year-old former member of K-pop group EXO "has been detained in accordance with the law after police investigations for the suspected crime of rape," according to a statement from police.
Wu, who spent most of his childhood in Vancouver, is identified as a Canadian citizen. China’s Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission said in a statement "On Chinese soil, it is necessary to abide by Chinese law."
Neither the Canadian embassy in Beijing nor Global Affairs Canada could be reached for comment on Saturday.
The People's Daily, which is controlled by China's ruling Communist Party, opined: "A foreign nationality is not a talisman. No matter how famous one is, there is no immunity. Remember: The higher the popularity, the more you must be self-disciplined, the more popular you are, the more you must abide by the law."
Earlier this month, Du Meizhu, 19, accused Wu in an interview with NetEase Entertainment of luring teenage girls into having sex with him by offering opportunities in music or acting. She claimed there are at least seven other victims, including two who were minors at the time of the alleged assaults. (In China, the age of consent is 14 – two years lower than in Canada.)
Du said she was 17 when she was invited to Wu’s house under the pretence of doing an audition. She alleged that she was pressured to consume alcohol and later woke up in his bed. She said Wu paid her 500,000 yuan (approx. $98,000 CAD) for her silence.
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In a statement he posted on Chinese social media platform Weibo, Wu acknowledged meeting Du one time last December. "[I] didn't force alcohol on her ... and certainly didn't do the things that she described. There were many people at the gathering that day, they can testify to this."
According to Asia One, Du threatened Wu on Weibo. "I give you 24 hours to prepare a press conference to announce your retirement from the Chinese showbiz industry. Then you can compensate the companies you worked with, apologise to them, and try to remove all the products and fixtures that carry your face," she wrote. "Then, you hand-write an apology letter to all of us victims and post it on your Weibo account for 72 hours. After that, you leave China immediately. You are not worthy to be on this land. You came from Canada, you go back there.
"I can destroy your reputation even without naming the other victims. Go get ready now. Mr Wu, it's war this time."
Several companies reportedly cut ties with Wu, who has endorsement deals with brands like Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, Porsche, Lancôme, and L’Oreal in China.
Wu's management company dismissed Du's story as a fabrication and vowed legal action against her for defamation.
“I didn't seduce, drug, or rape anyone,” Wu wrote in his Weibo statement. “There were no underage girls. If there were really such behaviour, you can be assured that I will send myself to prison!”
In addition to his music career, Wu has starred in a number of movies, including the made-in-Ontario flick XXX: Return of Xander Cage.