Chinese ex-gymnast suffers second social media ban over sexy dance routines
Former sporting hero’s provocative live streaming sessions lead to fresh social media gag, dividing opinion on mainland social media
China’s former gymnastics champion Wu Liufang, who caused controversy for releasing provocative dances and whose Douyin account was suspended briefly in November, has been banned again.
Wu, 30, received a gag order and was suspended from using the platform, China’s version of TikTok, on December 24 for violating its rules and policies. It is not clear how long the latest ban will last.
Her fan base has shrunk from 7 million to 44,000 because the social media platform deemed that 6 million users became new followers of Wu in the period between the two bans because they were attracted by her “line-breaching activities”, the Qianjiang Evening News reported.
The platform’s vice president, Li Liang, said on social media: “There are many disputes over the judgment and treatment of an athlete. We must follow state rules, regulations and guidelines and we must implement them well.”
Wu’s previous videos, described by many as provocative, saw Wu wearing sexy dresses and dancing seductively on camera, drew wide attention and criticism.
