Chinese actor, musician, and producer Wu Xiubo has been involved in an alleged "break-up fee" blackmail scandal. Wu, one of the most popular actors in the country, sparks controversy after a post claimed he has been in a relationship with another woman. The actor - star of the 2013 box office hit Finding Mr. Right - was married since 2002 and is the father of two children.
In September, Chinese actress and singer Chen Yulin (also known as Ruby Chen) posted on her social media account claiming she's been in a relationship with Wu for seven years. When they started dating, Chen claimed the actor told him to stop working and just be a good housewife. In 2016, she reportedly spent 333 days in a hotel, cooking and doing laundry for him while he was doing shoots for a TV series.
The scandal further blows up after Chen's parents published a statement on the actress' Weibo account on Friday, the South China Morning Post reported. They claimed that their daughter was taken into custody by police from Beijing's Chaoyang district as Wu had reported her for allegedly blackmailing him. The statement also claimed Wu, his lawyer, and his agent pressured Chen to take down her post in September, and the actor offered a "break-up fee" in return.
Both parties reportedly agreed, and then Chen left China and stayed in abroad for a while. Her parents claimed Wu called their daughter and asked her to return to the country on November 5 to discuss the matter, but she was allegedly taken by the police. Wu reportedly accused her of "blackmailing" and a "violation of privacy." Chen's parents claimed they pleaded Wu several times, but they never received a response.
The conviction for blackmail could attract a jail sentence of more than 10 years, said Wang Zhenyu, a criminal lawyer at Beijing Yipai Law Firm. However, it was not a crime to ask for an agreed-upon fee.
Meanwhile, Wu's wife He Zhenya also broke her silence following the statement released by Chen's parents. She accused Chen of claiming to be her husband's former girlfriend, asking "tens of millions of yuan" to break up with Wu. She said they are not protecting their honor or profit, but they are protecting their right to live normally. His lawyer also posted on Weibo on Saturday, saying they are dismissing claims of Chen's parents and they'll be handling the case in a legal system.
Wu is one of the most popular actors in China over the past decades, some of his popular TV dramas and movies include Before Dawn (2010) and Angel Heart (2012). He also stars in Love Saint 2 - a film to be released on Lunar New Year.
