Former EXO singer Kris Wu may face 10 years to life imprisonment over rape

Kris Wu arrives at the iHeartRadio MuchMusic Video Awards (MMVA) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada Aug. 26, 2018. Image: Reuters/Mark Blinch

Chinese-Canadian actor and pop star Kris Wu may be sentenced to at least 10 years in jail to life imprisonment if proven guilty in multiple charges of rape.

This comes after Wu was detained by Chinese police over accusations of “tricking young girls into having sex with him.” His alleged victims include an 18-year-old student who claimed she was induced into having sex with Wu and a 17-year-old girl who said the actor gave her alcohol.

If Wu gets convicted of the accusations, and after the imprisonment, he will then likely be deported after serving his sentence in China, a lawyer from Beijing Lanpeng Law Firm told Chinese state-owned media Global Times on Sunday, Aug. 1.

“Wu was detained and may be held on criminal liability. But any losses his endorsement business suffers falls under civil liability in accordance with the Contract Law,” the lawyer was quoted as saying.

Wu was a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy band EXO. Historical drama series “The Golden Hairpin,” which also stars Wu, has since removed all posts related to the actor on its official Sina Weibo account on Sunday, leaving only a poster with the show’s supporting characters. Several brands have also cut ties with Wu amid the accusations.

Communist Party-owned People’s Daily earlier stated that Wu’s celebrity status and foreign citizenship are unlikely to help him in his case, stressing that foreign nationality is “not a talisman” and whoever breaks the law will be punished. Dana Cruz/JB

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