Zhang Ziyi denies alleged interactions with Bo Xilai
The actress promotes Chinese high-end mobile phones. Zhang Ziyidisplays her taste for luxury much like the new Chinese elite.
Zhang, who is currently shooting a new film in southern China, said on her personal microblog that many people “can take wind as rain” using their imaginations.
Her statement was taken as a denial of the media allegations about the sex scandal.
U.S.-based Chinese-language news website Boxun, the Apple Daily published in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and other Chinese-language media reported that the 32-year-old actress slept with Bo at least 10 times between 2007 and 2011.
Zhang was allegedly under investigation by the Chinese government for being paid to have sex with Bo, who was removed from his powerful political position after coming under investigation after the incident involving Wang Lijung, a former Chongqing vice mayor. Wang allegedly “defected” to the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu City, of Sichuan province, in February.
The media reports said that Zhang and Bo were first introduced by Bo's associate, Xu Ming, 41, who is the founder and chairman of Dalian Shide Group when Bo was party boss in Dalian City.
Unconfirmed reports said that Xu confessed to paying Zhang 6 million Chinese yuan in 2007 to personally have sex with her for the first time.
Xu later negotiated a deal for Bo to have sex with Zhang for 10 million yuan.
The Chinese media reports estimated that Zhang's sexual transactions with various rich and powerful figures have netted her 700 million yuan over the last 10 years, including 180 million yuan in cash from Xu alone.
Her wealth accumulated from prostituting herself was not taxed mainly due to intervention from Xu and some senior Chinese government officials, said the reports.
In 2009, Zhang was accused of cheating a married businessman of a huge sum of money, with whom she was alleged to be sexually involved with, while still engaged to an Israeli billionaire.
The Chinese media also reported in April that wealthy businessman Xu introduced more than 100 women to Bo for sex and that the women included household-name celebrities.
Zhang Ziyi, The falling star
Show business stars try to keep their faces in the media and scandals are a very efficient method of doing so. But scandals can accumulate to such an extent that they can engulf a star's career.
Zhang Ziyi, one of the most recognizable Chinese faces overseas, must be painfully aware of this. Her latest series of scandals started last December with "Ink Gate," when some people showed up at the Park Hyatt in Beijing and splashed black ink over an OMEGA ad billboard featuring Zhang.
In January, Zhao Xinyu, a former confidante, said Zhang had split up with her millionaire fiancé, Vivi Nevo. Zhang sued Zhao, and Vivi Nevo issued a statement supporting Zhang. But it is still not clear if the couple are still together.
But what got Zhang into real trouble was the Sichuan earthquake. She claimed she had donated 1 million yuan (US$146,400) to earthquake relief funds, but it turned out the real sum was 840,000 yuan (US$123,028). And the Ziyi Foundation she set up to manage the donations turned out to exist on paper only. Zhang's credibility was seriously damaged but she made no public apology. Although she later made up the shortfall, the public has not forgiven her.
Zhang recently announced she was quitting her movie project "Snow Flower and The Secret Fan" which she was supposed to co-produce and star in. The production company said her withdrawal was on health grounds, but the public put it down to her tarnished reputation.
People are wondering what Zhang is up to. Why does she keep silent? Does she not care about her image at all? Or is she cleverly manipulating the media to create a myth out of herself?
Now would be a good time for Zhang start sorting things out and mend her image. If things go on like this, her career could be completely ruined.
The actress poses for the « 20th birthday » special October 2008 edition of « ELLE » China. It's the 16th time that the actress has posed for the cover of the famous magazine.
An alternative cover :
Info :
- Zhang Ziyi - 章子怡
- Born on the 9th of Febuary 1979 in Beijing
- Graduated from the Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1995
- Acquired an international name with the film « Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon » by Ang Lee
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