Famous Chinese actress Fan Bingbing is missing

Fan shoots photos. Fan Bingbing had a photoshoot to celebrate new movie. 

According to theguardian.com, Fan Bingbing’s disappearance is an example of how Chinese politics and show business are linked. It has been 2 weeks since her disappearance, during which her 37th birthday passed with the sadness of her friends and family. She is one of China’s most famous actresses, but she hasn’t been seen in public in over two months. She has also been China’s highest paid actress for years, and her company denied any wrongdoing on their part.

Many questions have been asked concerning her disappearance. Her company was questioned, as they were the last ones to see her in person. Some sources that have reported about this subject say that the reason she has not been seen in public for over two months is because she was involved in a scandal where actors under-reported their earnings and denied that they did it. Most are unsure of exactly how she became involved. Most speculate that perhaps someone she knew was involved, or that her company was accusing her of misreporting her earnings. Some experts say that Bingbings’s mysterious disappearance and the silence that surrounds her case are evidence of China’s entertainment business colliding with politics.

According to time.com, the fact that Bingbing disappeared raises many questions about the Chinese justice system. Bingbing’s involvement in the scandal was pure speculation, yet she disappeared just as the rumors surfaced. There were posts on Bingbing’s social media in May that depicted yin-yang contracts. This means that are two contracts, but the smaller contract is given for tax purposes and the larger is given discretely to the star. According to the leaked information, the actress had declared $1.5 million for work done on the sequel to her movie, “Cell Phone,” which aired in 2003, but actually pocketed $7.5 million. A spokesperson for Bingbing denied any and all accusations of tax evasion to the Chinese media when the rumors first started, but the leak prompted the Beijing government to send out a broad probe into the entertainment industry’s tax practices.

On Sept. 6, a news outlet gave a report that she had “been brought under control and was about to receive legal judgement.” The government, however, has continually refused to comment on her whereabouts. The article was quickly erased, and it is still unclear if Bingbing has actually been charged with a crime.

Haojun Fu, a senior accounting major and international student from China commented on the controversy surrounding Fan Bingbing’s disappearance.

“I have heard a little bit about this issue, but not much, but I believe it is mainly to due with her tax issues. I don’t have too much channels to know about the truth, so I know from others. I don’t really know enough to have a big opinion. But as a superstar and famous actress, I believe she can find a way to solve this problem, assuming that she will eventually reappear,” said Fu.

Zhao Yijuan, a senior art history major and international student from China also made a statement about the actress’ disappearance.

“I am not too familiar with Fan’s case, but I think it is related to tax issues that were found out. I heard her company closed, and the pending issue of her company has to do with the taxes. I think eventually she will work with the tax authority to follow up this pending issue and can’t just disappear wherever. I don’t really trust the media when it comes to these things, I trust the truth. I am sure that the authorities will investigate, and until I hear official information, I won’t truly believe the media,” said Yijuan.