Chinese-Canadian pop idol Kris Wu formally arrested in China over suspicions of rape

Chinese-Canadian pop star Kris Wu has been arrested over allegations of rape, Chinese prosecutors said in a statement.

Police first detained Wu on Saturday, July 31 following suspicions of rape, sexual assault, and predatory behavior toward minors. The pop star earlier denied the allegations on his official Weibo account, where he stressed he “would go to jail on his own” if he “ever did something like this.”

The allegations first surfaced over a month ago when a woman named Du Meizhu accused Wu of sexually assaulting her when she was only 17 years old on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. 

Du later revealed that Wu lured young women into sex through music video castings and contracts. She also claimed the pop star has a preference for women who were born after 2000.

According to Chinese state-owned media Global Times, a total of 24 women have also accused the pop star of rape following Du’s allegations.

Wu’s Weibo account has since been taken down, and various luxury brands have also cut ties with him.

Wu is a former member of the South Korean-Chinese boy group EXO and its subunit EXO-M. He left the group in 2014 due to contract disputes.