Prominent Chinese actor Li Yifeng, known for his roles in The Pioneer, Mr Six, The Founding Of An Army to name a few, has found himself in hot waters after the Beijing Police detained him and accused him of soliciting prostitutes. According to the Weibo post from the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, the 35-year-old has admitted to the crime.
On Sunday, September 11, Beijing Police had issued an official statement regarding the detainment of 35-year-old male actor surnamed Li. The statement read, “The person confessed to visiting prostitutes multiple times and has been placed under administrative detention.” As per the Chinese law, soliciting prostitution is illegal and typically leads to administrative detention of between 10 and 15 days. It could be reduced to five days or fewer if the offence is minor.
Not quite a long time back, Li’s studio through a statement had expressed that some internet comments about his personal life were simply rumors. Li had also reportedly posted on Weibo, where he has over 60 million followers, rubbishing the rumours and expressing that it caused him emotional damage and affected his ongoing businesses.
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Following the controversy, several high-end local and international brands like Prada, Sensodyne, RemyMartin, Panerai, Luk Fook Jewelry along with a dozen other brands have now severed contractual ties with the actor. Not only that, according to a report by China Daily, the organizing committee of the Huading Awards said it has rescinded the actor’s titles of “Best Actor in China’s Top 100 TV Dramas” and “The National Audience’s Favorite Movie Star.”
Ever since 2021, China has maintained a tough stance on what authorities deem unhealthy attention and ‘chaotic’ fan culture. There have been major crackdowns on celebrities for alleged misbehavior. Back in October last year, another popular name Li Yundi was arrested for visiting sex workers. The pianist hasn’t made any public appeared since then.
While prostitution is prohibited in Mainland China, the sex work industry continues to thrive in major cities like Shanghai and Beijing with more than 10 million women actively engaged in the profession.
