Concern is mounting over the apparent disappearance of China’s most famous actor, Fan Bingbing. Having been missing for months, rumours are circulating that she has been detained for tax evasion, although she has not formally been charged of any crimes. Most recently, a social responsibility report showed Fan scored zero out of 100, increasing worries that she is in trouble with authorities for promoting ‘negative social impact’.
Last seen at a public appearance at a children’s hospital on 1 July, concerns were first raised about Fan’s disappearance when rumours began that she was involved in an investigation into ‘yin-yang contracts’, which help actors avoid tax by having two contracts, one with their real salary and one with a smaller figure that is submitted to tax authorities.
With rumours swirling that she was detained for tax evasion, it was reported that she had received a ban from appearing in films despite being set to star in a spy movie alongside Lupita Nyong’o, Jessica Chastain, Penelope Cruz and Marion Cottillard. While the film doesn’t yet have a release date, she has been confirmed in the cast in what is likely to be her biggest starring role outside of China since playing Blink in X-Men: Days of Future Past in 2014.
A report by the Securities Daily newspaper stated that she had been put ‘under control’ and would ‘accept legal judgement’, not specifying what crime she was charged with. However, the article was suspiciously taken down soon after being posted with Fan’s studio denying any wrongdoing.
Now, the 2017-18 China Film and Television Star Social Responsibility Report, put together by Beijing Normal University and the state-affiliated Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Corporate Social Responsibility Research Institute, shows that she received a zero score out of 100 in social responsibility. This means that she could be accused of ‘promoting money worship’, ‘distorting social values’ and ‘misleading young people to blindly chase celebrities’, things China’s leaders have promised to crack down on to prevent what they see as the negative impact of the entertainment industry.
In fact, the communist country announced a cap on actors pay in June, stating that lead actors could not receive more than 70% of the total wages for the cast. With censors often changing content and authorities politically indoctrinating celebrities, it’s not entirely ludicrous to assume Fan could have been detained for not being socially responsible enough. However, the rumours are yet to be confirmed and given that only 9 celebrities scored a pass mark of 60 in the category, she isn’t the only one to be in hot water with authorities.
As outrage continues to grow over where exactly Fan Bingbing is, all we can do is wait to see if authorities address her disappearance.