Weibo reportedly removes Kris Wu's account after arrest

Weeks after Chinese singer Kris Wu was accused of rape allegations, his presence on social media has also been wiped out from Chinese social media. His Weibo account and that of his studio are now non-existent, according to The Straits Times, and most of Wu's songs have also been removed from multiple Chinese platforms.

Quoting a Weibo administrator, ST said the company had shut 108 discussion threads and 789 groups to prevent "irrational behaviour" and "extreme speech" in light of Wu's arrest. Weibo was also reported to have shut down 990 accounts. Some of the listed accounts, ST said, were in support of Wu. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Weibo for comment.

Meanwhile, Singapore singer JJ Lin and Taiwanese singer Wilber Pan were also reportedly unwittingly dragged into the matter. According to ST and Channel NewsAsia, there were rumours circulating about Lin and Pan reportedly being with Wu when he preyed on minors. Channel NewsAsia added that Wu had ratted out names of celebrities, including Lin and Pan, to obtain a lighter sentence for himself.

In response, Lin issued a Weibo statement slamming netizens who have been spreading malicious rumours about him. The statement was issued by Shanghai Jiuze Law Firm on behalf of Lin's company JFJ Productions and pointed out more than 20 accounts on Weibo and WeChat making false statements about the Singaporean singer. While the statement did not explicitly name Wu, ST reported that it was a response to "nasty talk" about the singer in the wake of the allegations against Wu.

The law firm said those Internet accounts have "maliciously published or spread false statements" against Lin through methods such as insults and slander. It added that some accounts have also continued to launch personal attacks against Lin "in a deliberate attempt to lower his social status". The law firm has since been authorised by Lin to gather all evidence and take legal action immediately. At the same time, the law firm also called for netizens to remove all such statements and refrain from spreading false statements about Lin.

Wu was recently arrested by Beijing police on 31 July, ST reported. The Chinese singer landed in hot soup after accusations of him date-raping underaged girls surfaced. While Wu has denied the act, brands including Louis Vuitton, Kans, Porsche, and Lancôme have cut ties with him. Wu was accused by influencer Du Meizhu for having sex with her while she was unconscious. Singer Lin Xiya and online celebrity Xiao Gna also previously accused Wu of harassing them. 

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