Chinese pop star Cai Xukun, a figure held in high esteem by millions, is currently embroiled in a burgeoning scandal, overshadowing his bright career with dark clouds of uncertainty. This week, the pop idol broke his silence concerning allegations that he coerced a woman, known only as “Ms C”, into having an abortion after a brief liaison. As the controversy continues to grow, state broadcaster CCTV has removed his music videos from its streaming app, and all TV broadcasts featuring Cai have been put on hold.
Having garnered stardom in 2018 after emerging victorious in the talent show ‘Idol Producer‘, produced by iQIYI, Cai ascended rapidly in the entertainment industry. As the lead vocalist of the nine-member boy band, Nine Percent, he won the hearts of audiences nationwide. His fame transcended music, with appearances in fashion spreads for esteemed magazines like Elle and Cosmopolitan and profitable partnerships with high-end brands including Prada and Tag Heuer.
However, his flourishing career is now under scrutiny due to the unfolding sex scandal. On Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter, traces of Cai’s corporate endorsements seem to have been erased from the official accounts of some companies. The scandal was initially unveiled by a blogger and later supported by a renowned celebrity photographer, Jiang Xiaoyan. The allegations involve Cai having a one-night stand with Ms C in May 2021, coercing her into having an abortion upon discovering her pregnancy a month later, and suspicions of Ms C attempting to blackmail Cai.
According to Jiang, leaked audio suggested Cai’s mother’s involvement in the matter. She was allegedly heard discussing a monetary offer to Ms C for the abortion and was said to have hired a private investigator and installed a surveillance camera to monitor Ms C’s activities. The blogger who made the original allegations claimed that Ms C underwent the abortion in early July 2021.
In the face of these allegations, Cai finally addressed his more than 38 million social media followers on July 3. He insisted that his relationship with Ms C was consensual, denying any coercion or any involvement of a minor. Furthermore, he promised to take this experience as a painful lesson, vowing to exercise caution in his actions and words, and welcoming societal supervision.
While Cai refrained from responding to Jiang’s claims about his mother, his studio announced its intent to initiate legal proceedings, alleging that false accusations regarding “dating a minor” and “coercive abortion” have been made.
The unfolding scandal places Cai within a broader context of the Chinese entertainment industry, which in recent years, has witnessed a slew of crackdowns on fraudulent financial practices and what is perceived as immoral behaviour. A notable number of celebrities have vanished from the public eye after being embroiled in sex or tax-related scandals. Online conversations in China are drawing parallels between Cai’s situation and the case of Kris Wu, a Chinese-Canadian superstar, who was convicted of date rape last year and sentenced to 13 years in prison
READ MORE: