Fan Bingbing is one of China’s most beloved actresses, but she has seemingly disappeared without a trace in early July. Her disappearance has sparked rumours that she has been detained by her country’s authoritarian government.
Since her disappearance, brands that she represents have pulled their support for her, her millions of fans are asking what happened to her, and authorities are refusing to reveal information on her whereabouts.
The 36-year-old has stared in more than 50 films across Chinese and Western media – notably in X-men: Days Of Future Past alongside Hugh Jackman.
In May, Fan appeared in Cannes alongside Penelope Cruz, Lupita Nyong’o and Jessica Chastain to promote their upcoming film 355. Her last documented appearance since then was July 1 when she visited a children’s hospital. She also has a massive 3.8 million Instagram followers, but she hasn’t posted since May 23.
Although most western social media platforms are banned in China, Fan’s Weibo account – a Chinese equivalent to Twitter – has been equally as quiet. She also appeared in a promotional video for De Beers that was posted to YouTube on May 24.
Little is known about Fan’s disappearance but some speculative reports claim it is due to a government investigation into tax evasion in the film industry. Cui Yongyuan, a prominent retired Chinese TV presenter, also appeared to accuse Fan of not paying her taxes back in May, according to The New York Times.
The ex-anchor posted two contracts Fan received for an upcoming film she was starring in. One contract showed a $1.6 million salary that was to be reported to the tax authorities, while a second contract showed an actual $7.8 million salary.
The dual contracts are also known as “yin and yang” contracts and are used as a way to avoid paying taxes. The practice allows someone to report a lower salary to the tax authorities while pocketing the higher salary which is their actual wage.
The New York Times noted that authorities launched a broad enquiry into the entertainment industry off the back of Cui’s accusation.
His post warned, “If violations of tax laws and regulations are found, they will be handled in strict accordance with the law.”
Fan denied the accusations although the post did not mention her by name.
In a now-deleted article, state-run Chinese publication Securities Daily claimed that Fan’s alleged tax evasion was just the “tip of the iceberg” and that she has been placed “under control, and will accept the legal decision.”
The original article also stated, “She is also suspected of participating in illegal lending and other forms of corruption. In the worst case, she faces legal punishment.”
As part of a wider government crackdown on “distorting social values” and “promoting money worship”, a joint survey conducted by a state-affiliated Chinese institution and Beijing university is conducted. The most recently released China Film and Television Star Social Responsibility Report stated that Fan had score a 0 out of 100.
It has been speculated that the Chinese Communist Party used Fan’s downfall as a way to reinforce the country’s socialist principles and to send a message to the wider entertainment industry.
Fairfax Media reported that Australian health company Swisse Wellness had announced it would be suspending the use of Fan’s name with a spokeswoman saying, “We have suspended using her image alongside our brand. As such we are unsure on her involvement in our Singles Day activity,”
“We are continuing to monitor the situation and hope that it is resolved in the near future.”
Since her fall from grace, Several other local and international brands have also distanced themselves from the actress including German accessories brand Montblanc.
According to Hollywood Reporter, the actress has fled to Los Angeles to seek asylum with a Hong Kong tabloid allegedly spotting the star in an LA immigration office. It was also reported that an unnamed “industry source” claimed Fan had turned to Jackie Chan for advice.
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