Kris Wu formally arrested in China over rape allegations

Pop star Kris Wu had been formally arrested in China over allegations of rape, prosecutors in Beijing announced in a Monday, August 16 statement, according to CNN. 

CNN said the prosecutor’s office’s “terse statement…did not offer any details on the charges.”

Police detained the Chinese-Canadian singer on July 31 over sexual assault allegations. He earlier denied the allegations, with his company saying the accusations were “malicious rumors.” His company earlier said they were seeking legal action against his accuser. 

Over a month ago, a woman using the Weibo handle “Du Meizhu” accused Wu of assaulting her when she was drunk at his home. The Beijing student said she was 17 at the time of the alleged assault.

Du later said other young women had come forward to accuse Wu of “tricking” them into sleeping with him. 

Wu made his Hollywood debut in the 2017 sci-fi film XXX: Return of Xander Cage and was a member of K-pop group EXO. He left the group in 2014.

At least a dozen brands, including Porsche and Bvlgari, cut ties with Wu after the allegations against him, which caused a social media storm in China.

Wu’s Weibo page has since been taken down, and his music pulled from streaming sites. – Rappler.com