4-7-2023 (BEIJING) Chinese pop star and fashion icon, Cai Xukun, has denied allegations that he pressured a woman to have an abortion, but has promised to change his behaviour after being embroiled in a sex scandal that has taken China by storm. A blogger claimed last week that Cai had a one-night stand with a woman referred to as “Ms C” and coerced her into getting an abortion when he found out she was pregnant.
The scandal has exploded in China, where celebrities are held to high moral standards, threatening Cai’s lucrative partnerships with major international brands, including Prada and Tag Heuer. Music videos featuring Cai were unavailable on state broadcaster CCTV’s video streaming app on Monday, and a search for the star’s name yielded no results.
Breaking days of silence on the issue, Cai acknowledged on Monday having a relationship with Ms C that ended in 2021, adding that the two were no longer seeing each other. “The relationship between Ms C and I was voluntary… It did not involve illegal activities,” Cai posted to his more than 38 million Weibo followers. “I implore relevant independent media not to spread or believe rumours.”
However, the singer added that he would change his behaviour: “In the future, I will strictly constrain my words and actions and accept public and societal supervision”. Cai’s top global sponsors have not commented on the issue. But signs of waning confidence emerged on Saturday when a Chinese celebrity-focused advertising association urged clients to be aware of “risks” concerning a “male singer named Cai”.
Chinese authorities have been closely monitoring the domestic entertainment sector in recent years, launching a wide-ranging crackdown on dodgy financial practices and “immoral” conduct in 2021 after numerous scandals implicated some of the nation’s biggest entertainers. In November, Chinese-Canadian superstar Kris Wu was sentenced to 13 years in jail after being found guilty of rape.
