Kris Wu | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
吴亦凡 | |||||||
.jpg) Wu in 2017 | |||||||
| Born | Li Jiaheng (李嘉恒) (1990-11-06)November 6, 1990 (age 34) | ||||||
| Other names |
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| Citizenship | China (1990–2000s) Canada (2000s–present)[citation needed] | ||||||
| Alma mater | Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School | ||||||
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2012–2021 | ||||||
| Musical career | |||||||
| Origin | Seoul, South Korea | ||||||
| Genres | |||||||
| Instrument | Vocals | ||||||
| Years active | 2012–2021[2][3] | ||||||
| Labels |
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| Formerly of | |||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
Musical artist | |||||||
| Criminal information | |||||||
| Criminal status | Incarcerated | ||||||
| Convictions | Rape,assembling a crowd to engage in promiscuous activities[4][5] | ||||||
| Criminal penalty | 13 years in prison plusdeportation[5] | ||||||
| Details | |||||||
| Victims | 3+[4] | ||||||
| Date | November — December 2020 | ||||||
Date apprehended | July 31, 2021 | ||||||
| Wu Yi Fan | |||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 吴亦凡 | ||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 吳亦凡 | ||||||
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| Li Jiaheng | |||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 李嘉恒 | ||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 李嘉恆 | ||||||
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Wu Yi Fan[6] (Chinese:吴亦凡,pronounced[ǔîfǎn]; born November 6, 1990), known professionally asKris Wu, is aChinese Canadian former rapper and convictedserial rapist.[7] He is a former member of South Korean-Chinese boy bandExo and its subgroup Exo-M underSM Entertainment, before leaving the group in 2014.[8][unreliable source?] Wu was active as a solo artist and actor in mainland China, and had starred in several number-one box office hits includingMr. Six andJourney to the West: The Demons Strike Back, which are among thehighest-grossing Chinese films of all time in China. He made his Hollywood debut inXXX: Return of Xander Cage.
In 2021, afterrape allegations emerged on Chinese social media,[9][10] Wu was investigated by the Chinese authorities. He was subsequently sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment for forcing three intoxicated women to have sex with him on November 25, 2022, by the Chinese courts,[11] and was separately fined CN¥600 million (US$84 million) for tax evasion. In November 2023, he lost an appeal of the rape trial.[12]
Wu was born Li Jiaheng (Chinese:李嘉恒;pinyin:Lǐ Jiāhéng) on November 6, 1990, inGuangzhou,Guangdong,[13] to Stacey Yu Wu (Chinese:吴雨;pinyin:Wú Yǔ; previously吴秀芹;Wú Xiùqín)[14] and Li Kaiming (Chinese:李开明;pinyin:Lǐ Kāimíng). Soon after his birth, he was sent toBaiyin, Gansu and was brought up by his grandparents until 5, when he returned to Guangzhou to attend primary school. His parents divorced when he was 10, after which he adopted his mother's surname, Wu, in his Chinese name.[15] The same year, he and his mother immigrated toVancouver, Canada, where he went by the name Kevin Li, using his father's surname.[16] In the following years, his mother traveled between Canada and China to manage her business, until she decided to close all her businesses to devote herself full-time to her son.[17]
In 2005, Wu returned to Guangzhou with his mother, who was there to finalize her business affairs. Wu attendedGuangzhou No. 7 Middle School, where he was the basketball team captain. He wanted to be a professional player but his mother disagreed. After one year in Guangzhou, when his mother had closed all her business, she took him back to Vancouver against his wishes. He attendedSir Winston Churchill Secondary School before transferring toPoint Grey Secondary School. During high school, he held a job as a server at an Asian karaoke parlour, in part to relieve his mother's financial pressure.[1][18]
In 2007, Wu, who was almost 17 years old at the time, attendedSM Entertainment's Canadian global auditions in Vancouver along with a friend. After passing several rounds of selection, Wu traveled toSeoul, South Korea, with his mother that winter.[19] The same year, he changed his legal name to Wu Yi Fan.[19] In a later interview, Wu cited his increasingly tense relationship with his mother and the financial pressure of college tuition as the main reasons he chose to go to South Korea.[17] In the summer of 2008, Wu went to Korea alone, living with dozens of trainees in the dorm next to SM's headquarters inGangnam, Seoul. He was trained for four years, during which he became friends with American-Korean trainee Kevin Shin, who quit SM in 2010 after three years of training.[13]
On February 17, 2012, Wu was introduced as the eleventh member ofExo.[20] In April 2012, Exo made their debut and quickly became one of the most popular K-pop groups in South Korea and internationally, achieving commercial success with their studio albumXOXO and their hit song "Growl" in 2013. The album became the first album by a Korea-based artist in twelve years to sell over one million copies, and is the 12th best selling album of all time in Korea.[21] Before leaving the group, Wu was featured on Exo'sOverdose album, which was released in May 2014 and became the best selling album of 2014 in South Korea.[citation needed]
Wu released "Time Boils the Rain" as part of the soundtrack for the Chinese box office hitTiny Times 3 in July 2014.[22] In the following year, he became the youngest celebrity to have a wax figure atMadame Tussauds Shanghai and was named "Newcomer of the Year" byEsquire China.[23][24]
Wu made his film debut inSomewhere Only We Know, directed byXu Jinglei.[25] The film was released on February 14, 2015, and debuted first place on the Chinese box office, grossing US$37.81 million in six days following its release.[26] He won the "Best Newcomer Award" at the 3rd China International Film Festival London for his performance.[27]
He then starred in his second filmMr. Six, which closed at theVenice Film Festival.[28][29] The film was a box office hit, grossing over US$137 million and becoming one of thehighest-grossing films in China.[30] The same year, Wu starred alongsideLiu Yifei inSo Young 2: Never Gone[31] and romance melodramaSweet Sixteen.[32] He won the "Newcomer with the Most Media Attention" award at theShanghai International Film Festival[33] and "Best Actor" at the Gold Crane Award for his performance.[34] Wu also starred in the blockbuster fantasy filmL.O.R.D: Legend of Ravaging Dynasties, directed and written byGuo Jingming.[35]
Wu made his runway debut atBurberry's Fall 2016 Men's Show in London.[36][37] He also took part in the2016 NBA All-Star Game as a member of Team Canada, coached byDrake.[38]
In January 2017, Wu made his Hollywood film debut inD. J. Caruso'sXXX: Return of Xander Cage.[39][40] He released the single "Juice", featuringVin Diesel in the music video, as part of the soundtrack on January 19.[41] Wu then starred inStephen Chow's film,Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back, playingTang Sanzang.[42]
In February 2017, Wu represented China at the59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles.[43] The same month, Wu accepted his second invitation to play in the2017 NBA All-Star Game inNew Orleans.[44]Forbes listed Wu their30 Under 30 Asia 2017 list which comprises 30 influential people under 30 years old who have made substantial effect in their fields.[45]
In July 2017, Wu appeared inLuc Besson's science fiction filmValerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.[46]
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In October 2017, Wu released "Deserve", featuring American rapperTravis Scott. Upon its release, "Deserve" placed No. 1 on the U.S. iTunes chart, making Wu the only Chinese artist to achieve the feat.[47] At the end of 2017, Wu released a single, "B.M.". Kris released another single, "Miss You" featuringZhao Liying on Christmas Day 2017. The music video was released on December 28.[48]
Wu starred in the 2018 Hong Kong-made action thrillerEurope Raiders, alongsideTony Leung.[49]
As of April 2018, future music from Wu will be released internationally, excluding Japan and Korea, through a partnership of Universal Music China,Interscope in the United States and Island Records in the United Kingdom[50] Wu's debut albumAntares featuring the 2018 singles "Like That" and "Freedom" (featuringJhené Aiko) was released on November 2, 2018.[51]
On April 19, 2019, Wu released a single, "Big Bowl, Thick Noodle", the music video for which was viewed over 90 million times on streaming siteMiaopai.[52] Wu then embarked on his Alive Tour, performing at cities across China.[53] On November 6, 2019, his 29th birthday, Wu released a second single, "Eternal Love", along with an accompanying micro film starring himself and Japanese modelKōki.[54]
On April 22, 2020, Wu released the four-track EPTesting, preceded by the single "Aurora" on April 15. The EP was pre-ordered one million times just 87 minutes after being made available on Tencent streaming platform QQ Music, marking a new record for the platform. The EP features three Chinese songs and one in English.[55][56]
In 2013, Wu was rumored to be in a relationship with Iris aka Lin Xiya, former member ofBaby Vox, with intimate bed photos of them being leaked. In 2021, after Wu was arrested for rape, Lin spoke about the incident from seven years ago on Weibo, saying that the photos were stolen and not self-published. After the leak, she suffered from cyberbullying and became depressed.[57]
On June 21, 2016, internet influencer "Little G Na" (Huang Kaijia) claimed to be Wu's girlfriend and leaked bed photos of Wu. Audios suggesting that Wu mingled with multiple women also surfaced. Wu's studio later stated that the images and audio were fabricated.[58] During this time, Weibo user Wang Jisheng started the hashtag "Paowang (lit. sex king) Wu Yi Fan" on Weibo, leading to a lawsuit from Wu for defamation. On January 12, 2017, the court ruled in favor of Wu, awarding him 32,200 RMB in damages, which bankrupted Wang. In August 2021, after Wu was arrested for rape, Wu's lawyer in the defamation case returned 10,000 RMB, the legal fees that the court had ordered Wang to bear, to support Wang's livelihood.[59]
In 2018, rumors emerged online that Wu held a "bride-show" at a nightclub in Los Angeles. Wu's studio denied the allegations and the Weibo user who posted the rumors later apologized.[60] On August 6, 2021, Chinese-American lawyer Jing Wang inOrange County, California claimed that Wu had raped an underage fan following the "bride-show" in Los Angeles. The victim, now an adult, was preparing to file a lawsuit, but there have been no further developments in the case.[61]
On August 17, 2019, Wu was photographed holding hands with Qin Niuzhengwei (now known as Qin Yulu), a student at theBeijing Film Academy. On August 31, Qin denied that they were in a relationship.[62]
In 2015, Wu became theyouth ambassador for the 3rd Silk Road International Film Festival inXi'an.[63]
In 2016, he became the first endorser forMixxtail.[64]Mercedes-Benz chose Wu as their brand ambassador in China for theirSmart division[65] and introduced the limited edition "Kris Wu Edition" smart.[66] Wu has also been made the global ambassador forI.T Cashback Card underAmerican Express Hong Kong. The brand made him chief design advisor and the face of their latest in-house brand,Under Garden. He designed the lookbook for the latest collection.[67]Burberry chose Wu as their global ambassador in 2016, making him the first non-British as well as the first Asian person to be the face of the brand.[68] It was reported thatBurberry experienced a growth in sales and awareness with Chinese shoppers thanks to Kris' campaign.[69]
Wu made his international debut as the brand ambassador ofBulgari at 2017BaselWorld.[70][71]
In June 2014, Wu joinedHeart Ali, a project started byFan Bingbing and Chen Lizhi (the general manager of Beijing Maite Media). The charity project is aimed at helping children suffering fromcongenital heart defects inNgari Prefecture in Tibet.[72]
On January 21, 2016, he launched his own charity project calledExtraordinary Honorary Court (不凡荣誉球场), a collaboration project withSina,Weibo Sports, andWeibo Charity. The goal is to spreadbasketball in middle schools in China to encourage all basketball-loving youth to continue their dreams of pursuing this sport.[73] Wu was also announced as the ambassador for China's Jr. NBA program and is part of the program's mentor group.[74][75]
On May 15, 2014, Wu filed a lawsuit against the agency to terminate his contract.[76]SM Entertainment claimed to be completely taken aback despite having dealt with several disputes regarding their contracts in the past.[77]
On July 30, 2015, SM Entertainment filed a lawsuit against Wu and the Chinese companies working with him at the Beijing court, stating that "these activities have infringed the rights of the EXO members and SM, and have caused great financial harm to us and our partners. This is not only an abuse of the system, but also an unethical move that has betrayed the trust of this company and the other members."[78] The following day, Wu released a statement defending himself stating that SM Entertainment had made him leave the group for several months and that SM Entertainment's way of mistreating and neglecting their artists resulted in serious health issues: he had to take medication to be able to work from July 2013 to January 2014, when he was diagnosed withmyocarditis.[79] A settlement was reached that he will be under their management in only Korea and Japan.[80]
On July 8, 2021, Du Meizhu, a 19-year-old Chinese college student, posted allegations online accusing Wu of a pattern of sexual assault involving multiple women and girls, some underage, while they were unconscious or under the influence of alcohol. ThroughWeibo, Du stated she was raped while intoxicated on December 5, 2020, at age 18, and that she was speaking for at least seven other victims, two of whom were minors at the time of the crime.[81]
The allegations were denied by Wu,[82] and were then investigated by theBeijing Municipal Public Security Bureau and other authorities. Wu was detained by police in Beijing on July 31, 2021, and formally arrested on August 16, 2021, on suspicion of rape.[83][84] Over a dozen brands, including Bulgari,Lancôme,Louis Vuitton andPorsche, ended ties with him after his detainment.[85][86][87][88] On November 25, 2022, Chaoyang District People's Court in Beijing sentenced Wu to a total of 13 years in prison on two separate charges; 11 years 6 months for having sex with 3 women while they were drunk, 1 year 10 months for assembling a crowd to engage in promiscuous activities. He will be deported from China after serving his sentence.[89][7] Wu was also fined an additional ¥600 million yuan (US$84 million) for tax evasion.[90][91][92][93]
On July 25, 2023, the appeal trial was held at the Third Intermediate People's Court of Beijing in private.[94] On November 24, 2023, the appeal was rejected.[95][12]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Somewhere Only We Know | Ze Yang | [25] | |
| Mr. Six | Xiao Fei | [28] | ||
| 2016 | The Mermaid | Long Jianfei | Cameo | [96] |
| So Young 2: Never Gone | Cheng Zheng | [31] | ||
| Sweet Sixteen | Xia Mu | [32] | ||
| L.O.R.D: Legend of Ravaging Dynasties | Yin Chen | [35] | ||
| 2017 | XXX: Return of Xander Cage | Nicks | Hollywood Debut | [39] |
| Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back | Tang Sanzang | [42] | ||
| Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets | Captain Neza | [46] | ||
| 2018 | Europe Raiders | Le Qi | [49] | |
| L.O.R.D: Legend of Ravaging Dynasties 2 | Yin Chen | Released via Tencent on December 4, 2020 | [97] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Challenger's Alliance | Fixed Cast | ||
| 2017 | 72 Floors of Mystery | Fixed Cast | ||
| The Rap of China | Producer | |||
| 2018 | The Next Top Bang | Fixed Cast | ||
| 2019 | Fourtry 潮流合伙人 | Host | ||
| 2020 | Chuang 2020 | Special Guest Judge & Mentor | ||
| The Rap of China 2020 | Producer |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | To the Beautiful You | Himself | Cameo[98] |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Esquire Man at His Best Awards 2014 | Newcomer of the Year | — | Won | [24] |
| Sohu Fashion Awards | Asian Fashion Icon of the Year | ||||
| 2015 | Sina 15th Anniversary | Outstanding Youth Award | [99] | ||
| 22ndBeijing College Student Film Festival | Best New Actor | Somewhere Only We Know | Nominated | ||
| 3rd China International Film Festival London | Best New Actor | Won | [27] | ||
| Best Actor | Nominated | ||||
| Asian Influence Awards | Most Influential Male God | — | Won | [100] | |
| NetEase Attitude Awards | Idol With Most Attitude on the Silver Screen | [101] | |||
| 2016 | Sina Weibo Awards | Weibo King | [102] | ||
| Strong New Actor | Mr. Six | ||||
| GMIC X Annual Awards | Mainland China Actor of the Year | [103] | |||
| 19thShanghai International Film Festival | Newcomer with the Most Media Attention | Sweet Sixteen | [33] | ||
| Fresh Asia Awards | Most Influential Male Singer of the Year | "Bad Girl" | [104] | ||
| 29th Tokyo International Film Festival Gold Crane Awards Ceremony (TIFFJAPAN) | Best Actor | Sweet Sixteen | [34] | ||
| The 10th Migu Music Awards | Most Popular Male Singer of the Year (China) | — | [105] | ||
| Top 10 Songs of the Year | "July" | ||||
| Tencent Entertainment White Paper | Celebrity of the Year | — | [106] |
| Year | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 42nd | [107] |
| 2017 | 10th | [108] |
| 2019 | 10th | [109] |
| 2020 | 8th | [110] |
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