All About The Rape Charges Against Chinese-Canadian Pop Star Kris Wu

Kris Wu rape case: Prominent pop idol Kris Wu, aka Wu Yifan, has been arrested two weeks after being detained for allegedly raping a 17-year-old girl while she was drunk, The alleged incident happened two years ago. Wu is one of China’s most popular singer-actor and his arrest had naturally come as a huge shock for his fans.

The 30-year-old was first detained on July 31 by police in Beijing. It is being said that the Chinese-Canadian singer allegedly lured young women into sexual relationships. His arrest came following an online outcry over the sexual assault allegation against him in what has become the most high-profile #MeToo case in China. The actor, singer, producer and model has, however, denied the accusations.

Ten things to know about the arrest of Chinese-Canadian pop star Kris Wu:

1. One of China's biggest singing sensations, Wu has denied the accusation by a 19-year-old student that he had sexually assaulted her while she was drunk. The accusation triggered an online outpour of support for the teenager and criticism of Wu.

2. Last month, a woman posted from a verified handle on Chinese social media platform Weibo alleging that Wu had sexually assaulted her while she was intoxicated at the pop star's home. She said she was invited for a casting interview when she was pressured to drink alcohol and woke up in his bed the next day.

3. The woman is said to be a student at the Communication University of China in Beijing and was 17 years old at the time of the incident.

4. After she called out the assault, the teenager, now 19, alleged that several other women, including two minors, contacted her and alleged that the former member of the Korean boy band EXO promised them jobs and other opportunities and took sexual advantage. She said some of these girls were under 18 but she is not sure if any were younger than China’s age of consent of 14.

5. Wu went on to deny having sex with girls under the age of 14 and also rejected the accusations he had "deceived young women multiple times into having sexual relations".

6. Before he was detained on August 1, Wu's company said it was taking legal action against his accuser, calling the accusations "malicious rumors."

7. Police reportedly conducted a thorough investigation in response to comments online that he repeatedly lured young women to have sex with him.

8. The Beijing district court of Chaoyang said that Wu’s arrest was formally approved but no further details of the charges could be divulged at the moment. Meanwhile, Chinese state media has said that he could be jailed for 10 years if the charges against him are proved.

9. The 30-year-old singer, who is now a Canadian citizen, grew up in Guangzhou in south China and in Vancouver, Canada. Wu rose to fame as a member of popular Korean-Chinese pop group EXO, then as a solo act after he left the band in 2014.

10. Wu has also featured in multiple movies and modeled for brands like Burberry, soon becoming one of the country's top brand ambassadors. He acted in the Hollywood movie XXX: Return of Xander Cage, starring Vin Diesel and Deepika Padukone, in 2017.

Feature Image Credit: CNN