Chinese-Canadian ex-pop star Kris Wu has been jailed for 13 years after being found guilty of rape, a Chinese court said Friday.
Wu originally shot to fame as a member of the K-pop boyband EXO, before leaving in 2014 to launch a successful solo career as a singer, actor, model and variety show judge.
Nineteen-year-old student Du Meizhu last year accused Wu of date-raping her when she was 17, resulting in a barrage of public criticism and luxury brands dropping deals with him.
Brands including Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, L’Oreal Men and Porsche suspended their partnerships with Wu over the case.
And more victims spoke out online in the wake of the initial claims, accusing Wu’s staff of predatory behaviour including inviting them to boozy karaoke parties.
See also: Censors, legal hurdles stifle China’s #MeToo movement
The hashtags “girls help girls”, “girls helping girls” and “girls help girls time” — where women expressed solidarity with Du — were censored from Chinese social media in the wake of the scandal.
The Weibo trending hashtag “the law is the lowest standard of morals” also racked up 830 million views, as users complained about the high legal threshold required for victims to prove sexual assault in court.
