A court in Beijing, China, rejected the appeal of Canadian pop star Kris Wu on Friday, affirming his 13-year prison sentence for various crimes, including rape. Kris Wu, a former member of the K-pop group EXO, returned to China in 2014, where he established a lucrative career.
The Beijing No.3 Intermediate People’s Court stated,
“(Kris) Wu violated the will of women and took advantage of the drunkenness of multiple victims to have sexual relations with them. His behaviour constituted the crime of rape.”
The court maintained that Wu, 33, played a key role as the ringleader in engaging a crowd in lewd activities, leading to the charge of group licentiousness.
Wu was detained in July 2021 after an 18-year-old Chinese student accused him of inducing her and other girls, some under 18, into sexual relations. Despite Wu’s denial of the accusations, the court upheld its original ruling. The verdict announcement was attended by Wu’s close relatives and officials from the Canadian embassy in China.
Consular officials have been actively involved in Wu’s case, although the Canadian government noted in July that its diplomats were denied access to the start of Wu’s appeal trial. Beijing stated that it had informed the embassy in advance, but the trial was not open to the public to protect the privacy of the victims.
Apart from his pop career, Wu made his Hollywood debut in the film “XXX: Return of Xander Cage” in 2017. Following his detention, Wu, who was an ambassador for 15 brands, including Bulgari, Lancome, Louis Vuitton, and Porsche, had all ties severed immediately. Wu, who could not be reached for comment, has previously denied the accusations, and there has been no response from his relatives or legal representatives, while the Canadian embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
