The 43-year-old Chinese singer Chen Yufan and his girlfriend were reportedly arrested in Beijing on Wednesday, and local police said both of them were charged with drug abuse and possession.
The singer was initially identified as Chen, but Sina Entertainment claims the singer is Chen Yufan, whose real name is Chen Tao. The South China Morning Post reported Chen is the other half of popular Chinese rock duo Yu Quan - popularly known for their 1999 song "The Most Beautiful."
The rock duo's 20th-anniversary concert was scheduled this coming December 25 in Beijing but has been canceled. According to the Beijing police, Chen's alleged drug use caused the fall of the most beautiful, but the singer's management, Giant Jump, responded to the speculations.
The company said Chen has been working on writing music and he will continue creating more music for his fans. The management also noted they strongly condemn rumors surrounding Chen's behavior. However, the statement has been removed from Weibo.
Police said they had found 2.14 grams of marijuana and 7.96 grams of methamphetamine at Chen's house in Beijing. The singer was reportedly tested positive for both drugs, while his girlfriend was tested positive for marijuana. China has strict drug laws, and the pair could be facing three years in jail for possession, while the death penalty is often enforced in drug trafficking cases.
Meanwhile, Chen's management issued an apology on Wednesday after denying the singer was arrested for alleged drug use and possession. The company apologized for mistaken declaration and for creating a negative impact due to Chen's "personal misconduct." The organizer of Yu Quan's upcoming concert on December 25 also released a statement, noting they formally canceled the concert due to artist's personal reason, and they started refunding the tickets.
Hu Haiquan, the other half of Yu Quan, also broke his silenced and posted a series of question in his Weibo account, like questioning Chen why did he choose to escape from reality in such a stupid way. Chinese netizens also condemned celebrity misconduct, particularly involving drug addiction. The "Zero Tolerance for Drug Abuse" quickly became one of the hottest hashtags on Sina Weibo, gathering 64 million views in three hours after the official statement was released.
Just last June, dozens of cities in China were tacked for drug use by testing the traces of substances like ketamine and methamphetamine in sewage water. The data released by the government in June revealed there were 2.5 million drug users in the country in 2017.
