Singapore — Rumours abound that Chinese-born Singaporean film actor Jet Li is next in line to be cancelled by China after all references to actress Vicki Zhao were removed from Chinese websites.
AFP reported on Saturday (Aug 28) that references to the actress, whose real name is Zhao Wei, had been scrubbed.
“Beijing is on a mission to curb what it calls ‘chaotic fan culture’ and celebrity excess, after a string of scandals in recent months that toppled top Chinese artists, including singer Kris Wu, who was arrested on suspicion of rape earlier this month,” it added.
However, no official reason for removing the actress name online have been given.
By the evening of Aug 26, search results for the popular actress were censored on major Chinese video streaming sites.
The billionaire star of My Fair Princess, Shaolin Soccer and Lost in Hong Kong is also the face of Fendi, a famed Italian fashion house, in China.
Ms Zhao, a Singapore permanent resident, and her husband also have close ties with Alibaba’s Jack Ma from a few years back.
Even her name was scrubbed from the credits of the TV series she sated in, and a Weibo forum with over 210,000 fans featuring the actress was abruptly closed.
On Sunday (Aug 29) Ms Zhao, 45, posted photos on Instagram saying she was in Beijing with her parents to dispel rumours that she and her husband had moved to France.
The actress and husband Huang Youlong own Chateau Monlot, a vineyard located just outside Bordeau.
Is Jet Li next?
And now, Beijing may be gunning for Mr Li, 58, because of his Singaporean citizenship.
According to Zhou Guogang, a film director in China, the actor, producer and martial artist may be similarly cancelled soon, The Straits Times reports.
Earlier this week, Mr Zhou reportedly told Mr Li, “Quickly flee. Next month, the house may just collapse on you.”
Mr Li is allegedly part of a list of Chinese celebrities that possess foreign citizenship. The “reorganization list”, allegedly from China’s National Radio and Television Administration. includes singers Will Pan (US) and Wang Leehom (US, actors Nicholas Tse (Canadian), Zhang Tielin (British) and Mark Chao (Canadian), and actress Liu Yifei (US). /TISG
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