Kris Wu, the Chinese-Canadian actor and singer who appeared in the film XXX: Return of Xander Cage, has lost endorsement deals with several brands including Porsche, Louis Vuitton, and Bulgari, after he was accused of having sex with teenagers, as per a Washington Post report.
The report says a woman had told NetEase that when she was 17, Wu, a former member of the K-pop band EXO, had encouraged her to drink too much at a party and she woke up in his bed. The woman also alleged that other women told her Wu seduced them, sometimes when they were under 18, with promises of jobs and other opportunities.
China’s age of consent is 14, so it is unclear if Wu faces any criminal charges.
As per a BBC report, Wu’s management team has denied the allegations and said it is taking legal action against the woman who is identified as Du Meizhu, a 19-year-old university student.
However, several brands, including Tuborg Beer and China’s Tencent Video and Master Kong Ice Tea, scrapped endorsement, appearance and other deals with Wu.
Louis Vuitton said it suspended a contract with Wu, while Chinese cosmetics brand Kans and detergent brand Liby terminated their contracts with him.
The Chinese counterpart of Twitter, Weibo, was reportedly brimming with related hashtags on Monday, especially after Wu’s post that read: “I didn’t respond earlier because I didn’t want to interfere with judicial proceedings… but I cannot bear it anymore. I only met Miss Du once at a friend’s gathering, I didn’t ply her with alcohol… I have never ‘coerced women into sex’ or engaged in ‘date rape’.”
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As per a Global Times report, the hashtag “Kris Wu’s reply” had gained more than 1 billion views in a few hours. The report further stated that Wu was earlier accused of harassment by singer Lin Xiya and “online celebrity” Xiao Gna.
After the allegations surfaced, Xiya, who accused Wu of harassing her in 2014, reportedly wrote on Weibo: “Seven years, justice? Bring it on.”