Chinese-Canadian pop singer Kris Wu Yifan, a former member of the South Korean boy band EXO, faces the affirmation of his original verdict on charges of rape and organizing group lewdness following a second trial. The Beijing Third Intermediate People’s Court, in a public announcement on Friday, upheld the initial judgment, citing the crimes as “clear, evidence reliable and sufficient.”
Wu had filed an appeal subsequent to the first trial, where, in November 2022, the Chaoyang District People’s Court in Beijing handed down a sentence of 11 years and six months for the crime of rape, coupled with deportation. Additionally, Wu received a one-year and 10-month prison term for the charge of organizing prostitution, resulting in a total sentence of 13 years, along with deportation after completing his prison term.
China’s Ministry of Public Security confirmed Wu’s deportation following the fulfillment of his prison sentence.
The Beijing Third Intermediate People’s Court outlined that Wu, by going against the will of the women and exploiting intoxicated victims, engaged in sexual activities constituting the crime of rape. The court further determined that Wu organized and participated in lewd activities as the principal offender, falling under the crime of organizing prostitution.
Observers, including Wu’s close relatives and officials from the Canadian Embassy in China, attended the second trial.
Wu faced accusations in July 2021 when internet influencer Du Meizhu, claiming to be Wu’s girlfriend, accused him of luring underage women into sexual activities by falsely promising recruitment for actresses. Subsequently, Beijing prosecutors ordered Wu’s arrest on rape charges.
In addition to the rape and group lewdness charges, Wu was fined 600 million yuan ($83.89 million) for tax evasion and underpayment. The court found that he evaded individual income tax between 2019 and 2020 by using fictitious business deals to conceal his true income. Authorities asserted that Wu capitalized on his foreign citizenship and celebrity status to direct Chinese companies to transfer earnings to foreign-registered entities, portraying his China-based income as overseas earnings to evade taxes.