Chinese-Canadian rapper and former K-pop idol Kris Wu appeals against rape sentence
- The court will deliver its decision at a later date after the former EXO member, who was jailed for 13 years in November, filed an appeal
- The 32-year-old was found guilty of raping three women last year after a teenage beauty influencer triggered a series of accusations
Beijing No 3 Intermediate People’s Court said a ruling would be delivered at an unspecified date following Tuesday’s hearing. It added that it had notified the Canadian embassy ahead of the hearing and that Wu’s rights had been protected in accordance with the law.
Wu was sentenced to a total of 13 years for rape and “group lewdness” in November last year and will be deported after serving his sentence.
The 32-year-old, once one of China’s most influential young celebrities, was detained in July 2021 after a teenage beauty influencer accused him of raping her when she was 17.
In accusations posted on the social media platform Weibo, the influencer said she had been date-raped by Wu while drunk. Seven other women then came forward on Weibo to accuse Wu of seducing them with promises of jobs and other opportunities.
The hashtag “girls help girls” – where women expressed solidarity with Wu’s accuser – went viral on Weibo in the wake of the scandal but was soon censored.
The Chaoyang District People’s Court in Beijing found Wu had forced three drunken women to have sex with him in late 2020. He was also found guilty of arranging “lewd activities” involving two women at his home in 2018.
