Kris Wu has been inside a detention centre for almost 2 years now
BEIJING - July 25, 2023 - The Beijing No. 3 Intermediate People's Court today initiated the legal proceedings against Chinese-Canadian celebrity Kris Wu, who is facing charges of rape and group licentiousness. This court session follows an earlier ruling that sentenced Wu to eleven and a half years imprisonment on rape charges, with an additional one year and ten months for group licentiousness. Following his prison term, he is to be deported.
25 July 2023
The case, which has been ongoing for two years, has ignited a firestorm on Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter, prompting mixed reactions from millions of netizens.
Several Weibo users commented on the rapid passage of time, reflecting on how the case has stretched over two years since the allegations against Wu first surfaced. Netizen @善念生活健康生活 said, "#KrisWu has been in detention for nearly 2 years# Time flies so fast."
Others took the opportunity to accuse those attempting to exploit the situation. One user accused people of falsely modifying the dates of Wu's trial sessions to propagate the narrative of suppressed news, arguing that the court sessions are scheduled in advance and changes would impact other cases.
A large portion of the commentary revealed a divide among Weibo users. Some were unsympathetic towards Wu's plight, taking an assertive stance. User @地瓜熊老六 made a snide remark about Wu's supposed lack of sewing skills, alluding to the manual labour expected of him during his imprisonment.
On the other side, there was a substantial number of netizens expressing deep concern and emotional distress over Wu's sentencing. Several heartfelt messages from fans included fears about the harshness of his sentence and worries about his future.
Netizen @三铜钱先生 offered a philosophical perspective on the incident. He wrote about how desire can sometimes lead to loss of control and self-destruction, possibly referring to Wu's fall from grace.
Several netizens commented on Wu's contribution to Weibo's trending topics, somewhat sarcastically suggesting that his notoriety has kept the platform lively. User @科技小Q cheekily mentioned, "#KrisWu has been in detention for nearly 2 years# His contribution to Weibo's hot search is quite significant!"
The Wu case continues to be a significant social issue in China, sparking extensive debates about celebrity culture and social responsibility. As the legal proceedings continue, the court of public opinion is also in session on Chinese social media, manifesting the complex, divided sentiments towards Kris Wu and his controversial actions.