Beijing Cancels Actress Zhao Wei. Is No Star Safe?

China has weathered a series of idol and celebrity scandals, and the reactions have been swift and strong. Where does that leave luxury ambassadorships? 

In the past few weeks, China has weathered a series of dramatic scandals — predominantly in the tech and entertainment industries — that have run afoul of Beijing’s morality crusade. Reactions have been swift and strong, ranging from cancellations to arrests.

The most shocking was undoubtedly pop star Kris Wu’s arrested for sexual assault, causing shockwaves while leaving luxury names scrambling. Another is Lucas Huang from Gucci’s Qixi campaign, who also acknowledged inappropriate sexual relationships with fans.

In tech, Alibaba’s Li Yonghe left his job as the CEO of Alibaba Local Services amid a similar scandal after the company was called out for its “disgusting” drinking culture by the country’s top anti-corruption agency. Disgrace was also heaped upon the now blacklisted actor Zhang Zhehan when a controversial selfie at the Yasukuni Shrine, a war memorial in Japan, outraged citizens.

Recently, Chinese state television network CCTV reported that controversial actress Zheng Shuang, formerly a face for Prada, has been hit with a $46.1 million fine for failing to declare her true taxable income.

In April, her “yin and yang” contracts, in which both official and unofficial payments for entertainers get documented, were investigated. Finally, top actress Zhao Wei, a brand ambassador for luxury houses such as Fendi, Chanel, and others, has also fallen foul of Beijing — although the reason is unclear. Surprisingly, her name has been removed from the credits of all of her films and shows. Continue to read the full article here