From what I know of Zhang Ziyi, I like her. She’s one of the most famous and talented Chinese actresses in the world – she is a renowned international beauty, and she’s one of the biggest gossip targets in China. Back in 2009, Zhang got a lot of bad press because she was A) engaged to an Israeli billionaire and living an international life of luxury and B) caught sunbathing topless, which some claimed was “shameful”. Zhang and the Israeli (Vivi Nevo) broke up at some point, and I don’t know who or what Zhang is doing at this point. But there’s a really scandalous theory floating around! According to reports out of China, Zhang has just been implicated in a HUGE prostitution scandal. Some say Zhang was charging around $1 million per night. OMG.
Zhang Ziyi, star of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, has been forced to deny lurid claims that she earned £64million by prostituting herself to a string of powerful Chinese men. Among those with whom the actress was alleged to have had sex for money is disgraced politician Bo Xilai, ousted from China’s powerful politburo amid allegations he and his wife were involved in the murder of Old Harrovian businessman Neil Heywood.
Miss Zhang, 33, one of China’s biggest film stars and a three-times Bafta nominee, is the most prominent name to date to be dragged into the scandal over Bo. According to reports in China, she slept with Bo at least ten times between 2007 and 2011 in exchange for ‘huge’ monetary gifts. The secret trysts are alleged to have taken place in Beijing and to have netted the actress around £1million each time.
The pair are said to have been introduced by Xu Ming, a Chinese businessman who is said to be worth £444million but is reportedly under investigation by the Beijing government over alleged corruption.
Mr Xu, 41, has reportedly claimed to authorities that he paid Zhang £600,000 to have sex with him for the first time in 2007 and that he later negotiated a deal for a similar liaison with Bo.
Mr Xu is said to have paid Miss Zhang a total of £18million and it is alleged that the actress – who also starred in Rush Hour 2, House Of Flying Daggers and Memoirs Of A Geisha – made millions more from similar deals with other rich and powerful figures.
Investigators are said to be looking into claims that her supposedly illicit earnings escaped tax thanks to interventions by Mr Xu and senior government officials.
It was reported that the Chinese government has refused to allow Miss Zhang to leave the country while it investigates the claims, prompting claims that this was why she was absent from this year’s Cannes film festival to promote her latest film, a new version of Dangerous Liaisons.
The actress cryptically wrote on her internet blog that many people ‘can take wind as rain’ using their imaginations.
Her Chinese publicist described the claims as ‘outrageous’, adding: ‘It sent stone-cold chills down our spines and has left us with a feeling of deep sadness. Why should this devoted and responsible actress have to suffer this kind of slander and defamation?’
Now living in Hong Kong, Miss Zhang was engaged from 2008 until 2010 to Vivi Nevo, the Israeli-American venture capitalist who was romantically linked to Kate Moss.
The number floating around for all of Zhang’s sexual performances over the years: 700 million yuan, which is… um… my currency calculator is broken, because there is no way Zhang made THAT MUCH. One of my favorite parts of this (completely alleged!) story? Allegedly, Zhang didn’t even have to pay TAXES on her ho money!! Because she was boning all of the rich oligarchs who run China, and they gave her a “tax-free” pass or something.
Anyway, Zhang is denying all of it, of course. Perhaps those Chinese higher-ups who paid for her services can help a sister out? Probably not – they’re too busy covering their own asses right about now. Zhang’s lawyers are demanding a retraction and apology from the Chinese paper that first asserted the prostitution story. Zhang’s publicist also told media outlets, “Friends have advised us to release a short statement and not take this seriously. The more you argue, the more you will stir up. It would be better to step aside until people lose interest and the lies disappear. The innocent will always be innocent.” Girl… if any of the ho story is true, I hope she just takes the money and runs.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I saw this on DListed the other day. The comment thread had me rollin’.
Who knew China had so much celeb-u-drama?!
Michael K just had me rolling on the floor for that one, but I did not read the comments! Will head there and do so.
BTW, the total is 110 million American dollars… IF she did not pay any taxes on those, well, wow!
Should have also put the full rebuttal because it was fierce and dramatic.
For the first time in a really long time, Lainey had posted a very interesting article regarding Zhang Ziyi and Chinese politics.
It was quite the enlightening read, a smutty but true read, that deeply covers the situation.
It makes you take back your comments on calling that woman a whore or a slut. I encourage all to read it, and dig up more research.
@ Maguita
on your recommendation I just read the article. If there’s a Pulitzler type prize for best blob posting, Lainey gets my vote. That was very thought provoking.
Thank you
I just read it, too. It made me scared for Zhang Ziyi.
@cupidtyrox, you’re welcome!
I hope more read it too, before jumping on the woman-bashing bandwagon. Which btw I was about to, than had the good fortune of reading Lainey’s insider look at Chinese politics and the treatment of women in general, and more specifically women in the industry.
Here’s the link. It’s a great read. Not fun, but great.
http://www.laineygossip.com/Articles/Details/23686/Zhang-Ziyi-prostitution-rumours-with-Chinese-government
You know I read this post this morning and was going to comment but got busy and forgot, then I went to Lainey this afternoon and read her take. I really did not believe this but now, I just feel sorry for the woman or anyone in her position.
@Maguita – I am currently reading a biography about one of the leading political figures in China who helped establish modern China, The Last Empress of China, which has alot of detail about the endemic corruption that Lainey is talking about. It is so scary to think how much it is in their DNA just as Lainey describes – apologies to anyone who may be offended by that statement.
But on the plus side, here is a link to a woman who allegedly used the same rules to make herself a billionaire
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1367968/Li-Wei-Meet-Chinas-unlikely-heroine-lovers-billionaire.html
I just read Lainey’s article — it’s really interesting indeed (and scary).
@LAK, I’m going to get on that one!
Read Pearl Buck’s Imperial Woman a long time ago… Although found it supremely superficial, it was interesting getting a look into a monarch’s lifestyle born in the late 1830s, that so oddly was very much reminiscent of Elizabeth 1 of England, who was born some 3 centuries before Empress Tzu Hsi.
Was reading up also on Confucius, odd how principles to live by were taken again by Christians some 500 years later… It all connects, and no one is truly original, not even the originals themselves. Wonder what Confucius might say about today’s Chinese political philosophy and way of life…
@Maguita – Thank you. Have just ordered it.
On different note, i was on the move, typing on my phone, so just realised that i gave you the wrong title because there are loads of books on various last empresses of china [ i suppose it depends who you ask. LOL]
Anyhue, here is the correct title.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Empress-ebook/dp/B002TNGBMM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1338504481&sr=8-2
The scary thing, this lady’s sister was married to a direct descendant of Confucius and was very proud of the fact. And yet they were the most corrupt couple of all within the ruling family.
You know what they say about History repeating itself. That’s why people like George W and Tony Blair were such disasters because they clearly never learnt their history lessons, and so repeated the same mistakes.
Churchill on the other hand studied the Duke of Marlborough, wrote a brilliant book about him, and used the lesson he learnt from that to act in WW2.
I think Lainey is being a bit harsh on her own people and if a black or white person had said the same it would be construed as racist. There are corrupt people everywhere. It is a larger scale in China because the country is so large and populous and it is a Communist country where the government supports this sort of behavior. America has one of the highest crime rates in the world, but it would be wrong to stereotype Americans as having violence embedded into their DNA. That said, if the Chinese government wanted this story to be believable to the public, they should have came up with a lower number for Ziyi’s services. This seems ludicrous. People are out to get her because she has a reputation for being a slut probably in part because she is a rich and independent woman who has had relationships with non-Chinese men in the past. Calling a successful woman in her own right a whore is nothing new in our misogynistic society. It has been done to women the world over who step out of line and many have been wrongly accused and killed over allegations such as this. I wish Ziyi the best even if there is some truth to her prostituting herself. She needs to get out of China asap.
@Kibbles, You can read a bit further down of actual citizens of China, as well as others who had lived and worked there for years, of their shared experience and POV on Lainey’s piece.
It is quite interesting what is going on, what is taken for granted, and how disconnected from their reality we are.
As for Confucius, to those mentioning it in the thread, how come what we read on the subject is one of strict morality and respect, but yet you mention some who consider themselves part of the “Foundation Confucian influences”, that are very much in contradiction with the philosophy itself: Would it be compared to extreme religious zealots, like some of our (USA) evangelical bigots touting homophobic messages and hatred? Or has the message and inclusion in society has changed dramatically?
@kibbles – your comment sounds like the standard apologist for people who would look the other way because the person in trouble isn’t of their culture and you know what is happening is their problem because their culture accepts it. It’s the kind of thing that stopped police investigating forced marriages, or female circumcision here in Britain for a long time because it was a foreign culture that did that and so we must respect their ways rather than what was/is the right thing to do and even when their own tried to explain and protest, they were shouted down as not promoting positive view of their own culture or as you’ve just said, -being down on their own’. Please read commentor #51 for someone with personal experience. Also, I’ve heard about the korean actress who killed herself because of the very thing Lainey is describing as well as the actress who was gang raped by Triads. Many suspect it is Tony Leung ( Very big asian movie star)’s wife.
As for the numbers, I am willing to bet that even if they are exargerated(sp?), they are not far off. The bigger the star, the bigger they are willing to pay especially if they are billionaires. I know of several big (in their industries) actors and actresses who will accept million dollar (american) gifts. Whether that comes as cash or personal items or a shopping spree at Dior is only a matter for their negotiating skills.
Closer to home just look at that Tara Reid in Cannes Story. And Tara Reid is small fry. Imagine what a supermodel or top actress would fetch in Cannes or St Tropez.
@LAK: I’m not refuting or denying the large amount of corruption that goes down in China. I am saying that to stereotype ALL Chinese as such is WRONG. I have also worked in Asia and let me tell you that corruption and misogyny exists everywhere from China to Japan, Korea to Thailand and everything in between, not just in China and not just with Chinese people. I don’t turn a blind eye to misogyny whether it exists in China or the US. However, I would NOT characterize an entire race or ethnicity by what their politicians do or flaws within their traditional patriarchal culture. There are GOOD and DECENT people who live in China, Korea, Japan, etc. who also do not like the way their society operates. Not everyone is a prostitute and not everyone is a corrupt politician. Please don’t act like politicians and rich people in the West don’t do the exact same thing. It’s like someone saying all Muslims are genetically prone to violence because of the Taliban or Al Qaeda. And no, I would not ignore forced marriages or female circumcision regardless of the cultural reasons behind it.
@kibbles – my interpretation of what she is saying is that culturally, there are things they would accept that to an outsider are intolerable. I know that not all muslims have a propernsity for violence because Islam is a religion NOT a culture. As a canadian with western values, she doesn’t get it BUT her mother is chinese with chinese values so she can see how or why culturally that type of corruption is endemic. Personally I am British with completely british cultural values but my parents are african, and their culture is as alien to me as can be BUT I understand where they are coming from because I understand it is their culture, and I can stereotype anybody from their homeland who still has that cultural sensibility 100%. That is what am talking about.
Sounds like somebody high up is smearing her cause of her past. And to help make Bo Xilai look worse. That’s how it goes in China.
I must say that I agree with your theory.
I agree. I mean, it is the Chinese government that is accusing her…does anyone trust them? I don’t believe this at all.
THIS.
That said there have been rumors about her in China for years (someone else said that below) I’ve always thought that was more of the gov’t saying-don’t step to far out of line or we’ll make sure this blows up.
For why?! She’s such a beautiful, classy lady! She can’t break my idolizing vision like that.
I refuse to believe this.
Classy? I’m not saying this story is true but I wouldn’t call her classy. I’ve seen the pictures of her at the beach with her then fiancé Vivi Nevo — no, nothing wrong with her being topless, but having her fiancé tossing her salad at a PUBLIC beach?
http://egotastic.com/entertainment/celebrities/zhang-ziyi/zhang-ziyi-topless-bikini-pictures-004286
http://www.joblo.com/hollywood-celebrities/gossip/5268
Dear God why did I click on that link before breakfast?! AAHH!
And theeere goes my “classy” comment. Sigh, thanks a lot Eve… 😀
Still, beautiful woman; there’s something in her face that makes me really hope she is not a hooker.
Nah, the pictures are not worth the fuss, it´s just a hand on a butt and some breasts. Don´t see the problem.
Gag.
@red granny, scroll through the images. There is, most certainly, salad tossing going on. Not appropriate beach-going behavior, if you ask me.
Um. I hate so sound naive, but what does “tossing her salad” mean? I’m sure it doesn’t have to do anything with food.
To put it gently…it means when you lick someone’s exit door. 😉
omg that is so disgusting! when i first clicked on this article, i thought, oh, surely not, she looks sweet and innocent. but after seeing those pics??!! who lets a guy lick their bare butt on a public beach with people taking pics!? how trashy!?
EEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bet she splits from China as soon as she’s allowed (if she’s ever allowed.)
I don’t think they would allowed their “prey” to run away easily #shudder#
Yes!
I was hoping you’ll cover this.
All i can say is “anything worth doing is worth doing well”
oh yeah that sound you hear is Lindsay,Paris & Kim hurriedly packing their bags & hopping on the next flight to Hong Kong
Wow…we can only hope!
Michael K said 700 million yuan would be 110 million dollars — and that to get that amount she would have slept only 12 times a year.
His math is somewhat wrong if she had a “pimp” as alleged, setting up the meetings. High class ones take 40-50%.
But still. That’s a lot of money for very little hooking.
She must have a truly magical nether region to charge that much. On a more serious note, I think the story is most likely false.
I believe that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Look at what goes on in Hollywood, look at Scientology, and this is happening in a country with freedom of the press and some element of transparency. China is a completely opaque country. OF COURSE there is so much happening in that totally secret and closed society that outsiders are not privy to.
This!
There was a story not too long ago about a lady who’d turned herself into a billionaire from prostitution with many rich chinese higher ups. If I remember correctly, she was being lauded for being the first self made woman in china, even if it was prostitution – or rather her preferred term, escorting.
On a different note, this story doesn’t surprise me although it saddens me which ever way you look at it. Many actresses in the other film industries have a touch of escorting/prostitution in their resumes, that is not necessarily of the porn star variety but as. Way to make money. It’s Cannes all over again, and they are valued for their star power. And given extravangant gifts of money or other things. Their view is you’d be a fool to turn it down.
.
Damn gurl. Betta run with that money!
Hmm. If someone offered me a $1 million for an evening of lurid sex, I’d probably do it once, maybe twice. So much my commitment to good and ethical behavior.
Yeah, even if this is true, I can’t say I’d judge her for it.
where the hell are these people getting a million dollars to pay for hookers?
Graft, kick backs etc. A lot of govt officials in China participate in the age old practice of greasing palms to get an official ok on something.
I believe this story. Many Chinese actresses are required to go on “dates” with wealthy businessmen or politicians in China.
Chinese actors do not make a lot of money – unless they succeed in Hollywood (ZZY hasn’t been in Hollywood for years). It used to be said that whenever you hear some actress or actor all of a sudden own lots of property or businesses, that means they had a side profession – the oldest profession in the world.
it just seems like there are way more economical ways to get laid. 🙂 and it’s insane that they can accumulate so much disposable income in bribes. i guess it’s a lot of money spread out over the years. crazy.
China is now the second most powerful economy in the world replete with newly rich business who want to spread their money around. Still don’t know if I believe the story but it’s entirely possible.
I find it off-putting how a lot of grown chinese women always seem to look like they are 12 years old. Face and body of a child. But she is a KICK ASS action star.
Um, I’m Asian and kinda took offense to that. My Mom is in her 60s and has the body of a 14 year old girl. She’s just built like that and she looks amazingly young.
I wouldn’t take offense. As you said, when you’re 60 you will look young while the rest of us are botoxed to hell and back trying to look half as good.
I find it off-putting that you can’t see how incredibly racist, condescending and rude your comment is. There is so much diversity among asian women and for you not to recognize that makes me think that you have had very little exposure to asians.
Yep. Talk about a huge generalization to say that all Asian women look a certain “off-putting” way. Not only is it offensive, it is clearly ignorant and racist.
The poster wrote ‘Chinese,’ while *you* and someone agreeing with you wrote ‘Asian.’ Enormous difference, obviously.
I’m only noting that because I hate a pile-up where some part of the original post is misquoted.
Not all Asian women have boyish figures. There are quite a few Cambodians here in Philly and some of them are pretty voluptuous.
@Goodgrief: I hope that the original poster was misusing the word “off-putting” and not “Chinese” to mean all Asians (like a lot of people do). Like saying “Mexican” to mean Hispanic.
Like I said, I was only *kinda* offended because it’s really not a horrible thing to look like a 12 year old. It was the word “off-putting” that I questioned.
Gee, maybe you KNEW someone would get offended because what you wrote is incredibly racist and tacky?
First of all, these women don’t look like “12 year old” girls. If they are 30 years old and thin and petite, they look like 30 year old women because they ARE 30 year old women. Not all women look the same after puberty.
There are so MANY different ways to be beautiful. Being petite with small breasts and hips is just one way to be beautiful. There is no need to be so threatened by it.
I have a friend from China who said she’s VERY unpopular there. Something about having affairs with married dudes and being a gold digger.
Yeah I’ve heard rumours about her general “sketchiness” as well. I think a gossip blogger implied it at some time… maybe Lainey? But knowing how the government controls everything in China, it could be a huge smear campaign. For some reason tho, I’ve always gotten major gold-digger vibes from her so I wouldn’t be surprised…
The Chinese/Hong Kong media love to smear her because she did Memoirs of a Geisha (remember the rape of Nanking?) and she basically only dates non-asian guys.
My caucasian dad loves her (he has an asian fetish lol) and both he and I are always offput by my asian mother who’s like “she’s pretty ugly…way better looking asian girls…she’s talentless too and dumb” and when I ask my mom, “why do you hate her” my mom can’t provide any reason except she’s “talentless and slept her way to the top”….no evidence for that whatsoever… I think that’s the general attitude towards Zhang in China/HK
Also, Gong Li and Michelle Yeoh are viewed as way more talented but have had less international success (in asian countries it’s a running gag that all the asian stars want to be in a hollywood film) so people feel like their idols got cheated out by this little upstart.
I don’t think she just dates western guys. She dated some hong billionaire’s son last year. It’s about the moolah not the colour for her apparently!
Yes, and I’m not saying she’s a bad person or that this is all true, just that even before these rumours she was really unpopular in her home country. It could be like you said that they see her as being too westernised.
A million dollar pootie tang?!
Is it blinged out down there or what?!
Somebody wanted a refund and ratted her out.
I hope this story isn’t true.
Its internally and externally vagjazzled.
Kidding. I have no idea.
I’m going to guess that this woman has gotten herself into some deep trouble – skipping out on a debt to a powerful person, perhaps – and they’re trying to ruin her reputation as a result. China’s waters can be murky on occasion.
As far as 1 million a night goes, I’m pretty sure the quality of the escort levels off after about $100,000.
She is a very beautiful woman ,hope that is not true cuz i am a big fan of hers .
and that’s proper way to vajazzel your puti Ms.Love Hewitt
This sounds like someone is trying a smear campaign. Hope it’s not true.
I knew there was a reason why I preferred Hatsumomo.
Chinese government is just shaming her for her Western values.They are punishing her for dating an Israelite-American. Looks like someone’s jealous or out for revenge. A number of nasty things had been said about her in her country including a report that she embezzled earthquake relief funds, being a primadonna bitch on the set, etc. She is disliked in her country or at least that is what the chinese gov’t wants us to believe.
I read CDAN and from what I hear from Enty, you’d be surprised how many actresses prostitute themselves. Yes, I was surprised at this story, but I think it’s totally believable.
I was just thinking this as well. Sadly, it wouldn’t surprise me at all.
Yup, not all actresses get paid millions for each movie. For those who are willing to do the casting couch thing, why not make a few hundred thousand or a million for one night’s work? I imagine it is pretty difficult to resist the offer especially if one has an expensive coke habit.
Is this story easier to print and believe because if her race and nationality? Let’s take a step back here…..
Um, no. Lots of hookers of every color.
Are the stories about Paris Hilton easier to print and believe because of her race and nationality?
Well, I know some women who put out because of a nice meal and the guy didn’t say anything too moronic during it. Look at the Jessica Biel’s of the world, who put out and put up with so much for so long, just to get a ring after 5 years of humiliation, I say more power to her (Zhang Ziyi). I mean, $1 million for a night!
I agree. I don’t see much difference. At least she got the money w/o having to put up w.the man.
JB comes of more idiotic to me.
I’ve been saying for years that there is a fine line between the traditional function of marriage and prostitution.
didn’t she have a fiance who was a business man? only a few years ago? anyway i doubt the credibility of this if every celeb dating businessmen was a prostitute then celebland would be a huge whorehouse. btw i think she’s ridiculously pretty but that belt on her dress makes me cringe. how can she breathe through that anyway?
So.. You DON’T think Hollywood is one huge whoreden of iniquity?
Oh, child. Welcome to CeleBitchy!
famehoing is one thing, real time hoing is another
I don’t believe any man will pay $1 Million for a night of sex. No way. She is a successful actress if money was needed she could front a line of fragrance. Go to a dictator’s birthday party. Make dumb movies. Prostitution? No way. Smear champaign.
A million dollars to a billionaire means nothing.
You hear about this in the Chinese press a lot of times. It is a notch on their belt to bed a famous actress. I’m not surprised by this story. This is a dirty little secret in the HK entertainment industry. Jackie Chan is a big douche there (I can name a bunch of actresses/singers he’s had an affair with, including ZZY). He only stopped when he got caught and knocked up some minor actress.
There’s a reason why my father and the older generation call entertainers hookers.
NOTHING would surprise me anymore, I just never say never.
When it comes to this level, is there really any difference between her and someone with a few really rich, older gentlemen friends who buy her nice things and take her on expensive vacations? she isn’t blowing hobos for tin cans (Lohan at 33). What makes this “prostitution” as opposed to good old-fashioned gold-digging? Is it different than Linda Evangelista and Salma Hayek’s husband? The line is very blurry, if it exists at all.
totally correct.
Good point. In a way, I think she’s less bad than golddiggers. At least she’s only with the old billionaire for one night, not a long-term relationship.
She has always given me the impression of being a straight-up bitch with an attitude, and I understand she is widely disliked in China, but I don’t believe this rumor. I think as somebody posted upthread it’s very likely she got into a mess with some higher-up and this is payback.
Agreed, 100%, both in terms of her vibe and what’s likely to have happened.
Whatever the truth, I think she’ll manage to get out of China relatively quickly, with funds, and won’t return for decades.
Lol, i believe this. She is a well known gold digger and social climber in asia, and has been known to date married rich men or flirt with them.
Hell, there were reports of her trying to seduce jacky chan back in the day and he has been married for like 30 years.
1 Million a night is not much of a stretch, she is a international star. Normal hong kong tv drama actresses regularly reports being harassed by mysterious Chinese businessmen and offered 100-500k for “dinner”.
I believe the Spice Girls sang about Zhang Ziyi that, to be her lover, you had to get with her friends.
That guy sucks ass at CPR.
If this comment is in response to the pic of the guy with his mouth on her bottom, then hot damn! That is the funniest thing I’ve read in a while. 🙂
Very naughty!
Lindsay Lohan is going to be flyin’ her ass to China and stayin’ for a few months.
Too bad she didn’t sleep with Charlie Sheen, he would have tried to help 🙂
love her. she can do no wrong..
Lainey has an interesting perspective on this story… heritage and all.
Why should it sadden anyone, if she wants to get rich off her looks, why the hell shouldn’t she. Men have commoditized women and sex for decades and made money from it, i applaud a woman taking charge of her own sexuality and making money from it, good for her, I hope she can take her well earned money and RUN.
This is what it means to completely misconstrue feminism.
I certainly never mentioned feminism and/or said that my belief that she should have control over the proceeds of her beauty anyway she sees fit is an expression of feminism.
Feminism like many other isms is overused and the definition has gotten lost over the decades. I hope this woman is not being forced into anything, however if it is HER CHOICE to profit off of her looks in that manner and if SHE FEELS she is being compensated accordingly, then I 100% support her.
It is a fact that men, corporations profit immensely off of the looks of actresses, it is a fact that the media commoditizes female sexuality for profit, why shouldn’t she have the power to do the same if she chooses.
I support her profiting off a god-given blessing anyway she sees fit. I don’t know if that says anything about feminism, I never said it did. Don’t put words in my mouth. thanks.
This is totally believable. Rumors of her sketchiness have been floating around Chinese chatrooms and blogsphere for years. That said, there’s no way she made as much as the story alleges, for the simple reason that her pimp would’ve taken a chunk of that money.
Another thing, the money we’re talking about here means this is no longer just hooking, a la a quick 10 minute shag. In experience, there would be little difference between this and a date night with a rich guy. The only difference would be that you’re expected to put out at the end of the date and a stack of bills the morning after.
FYI, the net in China is not controlled by the government. Oh, it tries to control, but the so-called Great Firewall of China is a joke. The internet has gotten too big for even China to control, let alone manage.
This is one reason why there’s so much instability in China right now. Chinese netizens have become too savvy for govtmnt censors to manipulate. Like when China tried to inflame nationalist sentiments against Gary Locke, it instead blew up on the Party’s face and it had to backtrack quite a bit.
On the theory that she’ll run from China ASAP, don’t bet on it.
Unless she intends to hook full time and then only non-Chinese billionaires (because she’ll be persona non grata), she’ll find very little acting opportunity in the West.
The sad truth is that Chinese actors just don’t transition well to Hollywood, unless they speak good English and her English isn’t very good.
My prediction: If the stories are true and she’s charged, but escapes jail time, she’ll stay in China. Despite her alleged unpopularity, she’s having little problem finding work there, so I expect she’ll continue to find work, unless the government blacklists. In which case, she’ll have no choice but emigrate.
She’s being held in the country without having been charged, right? *shudders* For her sake, I hope that it all blows over and that she saved some of her money in a foreign bank account so she can split. Even if she can’t get too much work, I would imagine she couldn’t feel safe living in China anymore. The people she’s involved with sound like HUGE power players and dangerous too.
Lainey has a very interesting take on this, one with which I tend to agree wholeheartedly. The few stories that I’ve heard from my own former communist country make me very willing to believe what she’s saying. It’s enough to curdle your blood.
Just read Lainey’s take on this:
http://www.laineygossip.com/Articles/Details/23686/Zhang-Ziyi-prostitution-rumours-with-Chinese-government
I went from thinking she was too pretty and successful to have to do that / not believing the story, to thinking she was a f*cking genius for making all that money, to just being sad and worried for her 🙁
She’s right about the entertainment industry, but not about the Bo affair.
The Bo affair isn’t some reaction to the US or a belated action on anything. Rather, it’s been orchestrated by his enemies in the provinces and the Politburo, and is part of the vicious power struggle going on in China right now.
China is entering the uncharted waters and the old norms of behavior are being callously set aside, as seen by the vicious and lightning quick assault on Bo.
Lest you feel sorry for Bo, don’t. Bo was a radical, a neo-Maoist populist with penchant for whipping up the crowd. He would’ve been bad for Chinese people had he eventually attained power. Chinese Ron Paul, but with more charisma.
Thanks for all the info, mike. So interesting, but soo chilling. And don’t worry – I reserve my sympathy to the smaller players in this (in this case the actors and less powerful movie people most likely being coerced into unsavory situations) than a willing politician who becomes a party player in such a corrupt web.
Way to go spreading misinformation/conspiracy theories.
His wife is suspected of POISONING, i.e. murdering a British national. And Bo Xilai was wiretapping higher-ups in Beijing. Yes there is factionalism but clearly, he was totally corrupt, as is most of the Communist Party. It’s all in the NYT.
Lainey’s article is excellent. Worth a couple of re-reads. Thanks for posting the link.
@Gayle,
It’s no conspiracy theory and nothing I’ve said contradicts what’s in MSM reports, including the Grey Lady’s.
What I’ve provided is the context behind his fall. In another era with another player, he’d have gotten a slap in the wrist, but he didn’t. He has been completely and utterly ruined.
All because of his enemies. The extreme degree of his fall is directly related to his uncustomary and brazen aspirations to the Politburo.
I read this yesterday on Dlisted, and if this is true(and I hope it is) THEN YOU GO GIRL! I know everyone views hooking as an unhonorouable profession, but if she was able to command 1 million a night and up it to 1 and a half million for a repeat customer and he paid it, then all the more power to her! This chick was able to parlay her celebrity to a business taht netted her 110 million extra and if money is all-important to her then she did it and then some! God knows my vagina never commanded 1 million for access to it so I aint hatin on her! She didnt sell herself short obviously and for that I commend her.
amen. the slut shaming is rampant today.
agreed. 1 million per…where do i sign up.
my morality is not defined by my sexual behaviour.
No one’s written anything remotely ‘slut-shaming.’
Most people are reacting with some kind of fear for her. If she’s being held under house arrest in China prior to official charges, that’s a bad, bad thing in a place where more or less, no individual has any rights or liberties.
This isn’t really a ‘you go, gurrrrrl!!!!’ kind of story, not yet anyways.
I am madly in love with the Dior dress, like Cinderella.
i million per night, where can i sign up
Read Lainey’s article. Very disturbing, and likely true. I have a good friend who is originally from Hong Kong and we were talking about this last night. She basically said the same thing Lainey said today. Like, some official probably told Zhang Ziyi “how about we spend some time together, or your father might have an accident” type of situation. My friend said that while some actresses do it willingly, someone at Zhang’s level in her career (and supposedly, this started after she hit it big in 2003) probably would not…but that the big wigs would still want the power trip over her. It’s so fucked up. Also, going to reiterate what people say about Jackie Chan. Apparently, he’s a real douchebag in real life.
I’ve heard Jackie Chan is a real a-hole too and I didn’t doubt it lol Those who behave SO nicey nicey usually are complete wingnuts behind the scenes.
Lainey’s post today was chilling but worth a read. I really do feel sorry for this actress and others if they are seriously being treated this way.
There was a Blindgossip item a few months ago about a A++ Chinese actress who wanted to leave for a career in the west but her handlers were making too much money from her (sex wise?)to let her go, they had sex tapes of her which they would release if necessary.
http://blindgossip.com/?p=33567
This may not be the same actress but it just shows the depth of the slime in the Chinese film industry.
Couldn’t re-iterate more how much more thoughtful and upsetting a picture Lainey paints of this story (sorry CB, reading this here now it does seem cheap and exploitative if any of what she writes is remotely true), and certainly made me think twice about condemning this or any other Chinese actress accused of “prostitution”. Not wholly surprising but utterly depressing. I know it goes on in Hollywood too, but the power and influence is something you can walk away from should you choose to. Also made me glad I don’t buy any Apple products either, totally sick how disproportionately cool their image is when they are glorified sweatshop products.I know they are far from alone in exploiting cheap labour, but their shire don’t stink image is a bit rich.
BTW……is this 1 million US$ they are talking about or 1million HK$, which would be around $125,000 US, the latter would make a lot more sense.
What’s the matter with your life?
Why you gotta mess with mine?
Don’t keep sweatin’ what I do
Cause I’m gonna be just fine – check it out
If I wanna take a guy home with me tonight
It’s none of your business
AND SHE WANNA BE A FREAK AND SELL IT ON THE WEEKEND
It’s none of your business
Now you shouldn’t even get into who I’m givin’ skins to
It’s none of your business
So don’t try to change my mind, I’ll tell you one more time
It’s none of your business
🙂
I am so glad Lainey wrote her blog post on this story. I’m already really p.o.’d at all of the stories that are calling this girl a slut or a whore, because she has very little agency in this situation and she is basically taking the fall for a really f–ked up system. She deserves our sympathy and support, not our derision.
i guess the next victim of rumors will be the director Zhang Yimou :since 2 months,he has a Hollywood agent(whereas until the last year he said he wasn’t interested by Hollywood) and his chinese business partner and productor was NOT with him in Berlin to promote their last movie(whereas Christian Bale talked about his visit of the chinese blind dissident during the press conference)
This is interesting.
If she has some connections in the West or other parts of Asia, it’s about time that she start tapping those potential resources (pun totally intended).
Does anyone remember the Chinese actress Wei Tang? She acted opposite Tony Leung (aka The Chinese film industry’s most preminent actor and cash cow) in Lust, Custion; a film adaptation of the book my Eileen Chang directed by Ang Lee. The movie has some of the most explicit, erotic scenes that I’ve ever seen on screen, which openly challenged Chinese standards of morality. I remember being slightly shocked when I saw it considering that the protagonists are Chinese, and those sex scenes were defintiely shot with a Western sensibility. Well, after Chinese govt officials screened the film, they completely and officially blacklisted the girl from the Chinese film industry. She was virtually exiled to Hong Kong where she mostly works and resides now. She’s been in four productions in the last five years, which is telling. Meanwhile, Tony Leung came away completely unscathed. He’s a MAN, afterall. In short, if they want Zhang Zi Yi ruined, the can and will ruin her. At least in Mainland China.
I’ve found that those Asian actresses who find even some measure of success in the West often run the risk being ostracized from their native cultures, as they are exposed and greatly influenced by Western values and begin living their lives as such.
And if the woman wants to do her thing with her filthy rich fiance on the beach, it’s her life. IT’s not her fault that paparazzi are nosy. I guarantee you she is acquainted with the consequences.
Regarding the potential veracity of this story, it’s a very real possibility just from how differently prostitution and “entertaining” operates there. I can’t speak directly of China, but I did live and work in Korea for a few years, and the culture operates similarly due to the foundational Confucian influences. There seems to be more of societal niche for prostitution despite the fact that it’s not condoned officially. Think of traditional geishas in Japan or European courtesans from a few centuries ago. You are there in order to entertain men of s certain ilk for certain “favors”. And there can be a certain degree of coercian that goes on. I know in Korea, there was a actress a few years ago who committed suicide as a result of the fact that she was constantly being coerced into entertaing high profile men as the men in power around her saw fit. Apparently, it largely comes with the territory there. And if you know anything about Confucian hierarchies, you don’t say “no” to someone who is your social superior even to protect yourself. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if Zhang had liasons with some men because it’s a part of the unspoken duty of the job only to have them turn on her at their convenience, and twist her actions from something socially “acceptable” to “lurid”,”immoral”, and “tawdry”.
I think I’m going to read the Lainey piece now.
It’s funny you bring up Tony Leung. Lainey briefly mentions a famous HK actress gang-raped by HK triad members. I believe the person Lainey is talking about is Carina Lau, Tony Leung’s wife. I spent my childhood summers in Taiwan and heard bits and pieces of the scandal that happened in 1990. The triad bosses wanted Carina to do a film and she refused. They kidnapped her and released topless photos of her. She never talked about what happened until 2008 – when she married Tony Leung. It was always widely speculated that she was raped, and she still maintains she wasn’t. But the general feeling in Asia was that something awful happened to her when she was kidnapped.
A few years ago, I remember hearing about this Mainland actress in China who was new to fame and acting like a diva on the set of her new drama. The director gave crew members the green light to beat her up to “teach her a lesson”.
My point is: Asian actresses don’t have the same rights as women in Hollywood. It’s a completely different machine. They are expected to have a almost virginal-like image and anything that contradicts that means public shaming and ostracizing that person – the way they did with Wei Tang.
I have a feeling Zhang Ziyi really pissed someone off and this is payback. I also agree with Lainey that even if this is true, she couldn’t say NO to high officials in the government.
I was curious of what Lainey said about the HK actress so I did a Google search and found the Carina Lau story along with other seriously fcked tidbits like how Andy Lau was threatened at gun-point to take up a movie project, and Amy Yip was also forced to go nude in a movie, or face disfigurement. I mean holy hell I could feel my blood run cold.
And if the woman wants to do her thing with her filthy rich fiance on the beach, it’s her life.
I agree that she can do whatever she wants and whenever she wants. NOT wherever she wants.
IT’s not her fault that paparazzi are nosy. I guarantee you she is acquainted with the consequences.
She was at a PUBLIC beach, in broad daylight — paparazzi, or anyone else for that matter, didn’t need to be “nosy”.
It’s been reported in the Chinese press that Tang Wei as blackballed because ZZY knew some higher ups in the party and got her blackballed. ZZY was jealous of her impending stardom. Apparently the two went to the same acting school.
Tang Wei told the HK press herself that it was because someone did not want her to advance her career because of competition. The press speculated it was ZZY.
Again not surprised.
Yes, yes, yes to the Lainey piece.
She is beautifulll!
I find Ziyi bland. Now, Gong Li, is another matter and far more talented, sexier, mysterious, and fierce than Ziyi.
I can’t stand all those Chinese movies where everyone flies around in flight scenes. I remember the 90s going to see Farewell My Concubine, The Red Lantern, To Live, etc. and Gong Li was the biggest international movie star in the world.
C’mon now, that happy innocent smile on her face speaks volumes, it says “I don’t give a DAMN what the rest of you strugglin’ heauxs gotta say, I’mma use what I got to get what I want!” LOL
Nothing surprises me anymore. Sex has sadly become a bargaining chip and commodity. As much as she might or might not be subject to the corrupting forces of China’s authorities, I am inclined to believe the story…
Has become? It’s. Not called the oldest profession for nothing.
Has become? It’s not called the oldest profession for nothing.
I’m from China. Zhang Ziyi’s reputation is bad enough already. This news actually hurt the “Party” more than her. That’s why it is only reported by Hongkong and Taiwan newspapers. Not one Chinese mainland newspaper or popular gossip website is running this story.
And Zhang Ziyi’s worst reputation came from a so called “charity fraud gate”. Yes, she’s done way worse things than prostitution and gold digging. After the big earthquake in Sichuang in 2008, the press reported she raised 1 million us dollars from Cannes for the earthquake disaster area. She said it in front of cameras she was contacting Ministry of civil affairs and she would personally look into where exactly the raised money was used. God knows that was a time the whole China was in a huge shock and everybody were in deep sadness. Then after 2 years it was found out not a penny of that 1 million us dollars were donated and she just lied right in front of all the reporters and the cameras at that saddest time. That’s when I started to find her disgusting. Whatever bad things happed to her, I won’t feel sorry for her.
I fail to see how this is any worse than, say, a Murdoch style smear etc on a celebrity or other shady antics. Everyone jumps on their high horse because its China, and everyone thinks they know best because of the way the Chinese government runs their country. Yes, they may be corrupt, but every government is even when they’re from a Western, ‘developed’ country. Just look at how Murdoch bought his way into power in the UK, anf allowed his employees to hack into a missing girls’ phone who was eventually murdered. He claims complete ignorance, and nothing serious happens to him, yet we jump all over the Chinese government when it wasn’t even they who published the story. Go figure.
I’m from China, and I often wonder how exactly do foreigners see our society because from what I read, everybody seems to believe that the Party can control every aspect of our country, even entertainment, who sleeps with whom, how tabloid trashes someone? What are you thinking？？？ This prostitution story came from Hong Kong and it said ZZY was sleeping with Communist Party officials for money, why would the Party want to create this story? It totally makes them look bad. So obviously this story was not Communist Party trying to ruin ZZY’s reputation.
Oh and Lainey is an idiot, if she thinks Foxxcon workers earn less than a dollar per day, then she has some serious brain damage, I feel sorry for her. Her article has some merit, but mostly it’s a girl having watched too much Star Wars trying to picture what the Empire looks like.
Oh and ZZY does have a bad reputation in China Mainland and Hong Kong. I must say it has nothing to do with Communist Party, actually come to think of it, if the Party has a choice, it would want ZZY to be more respected, because she’s like the only actress worth mentioning from China. She flirted with some very rich men, had a high-profile foreigner boyfriend, played a geisha(You have to understand, Chinese are very conservative, you have to act like a virgin in your private life to get people like you. And we’re still hating Japanese. ), created a charity scandal, they all contributed to her bad rep. I personally like her and never buy her bad press, even believed her during the so-called charity fraud, and I certainly don’t believe this absurd prostitution piece, Hong Kong paparazzi hate her because of her bad attitude towards them, I’m sure they just create this out of nowhere.
Why such a big Hoo Ha…?? Being a Chinese myself, its no big surprise, chinese female students graduating from Arts Schools trade their body with the rich are common knowledge to all in China. Who is Zhang Ziyi, is she really talented?? I doubt, from the start of her career, she has been prostituting from one director to another to place herself at the top ring of prostitution so that she can charge top $$$. Leaders buy actresses and actors sex for fame and dirty pride, which actress in China doesn’t prostitute herself??? Everyone of us in China knows, but to expose herself like a cheap tart….is a disgrace to us Chinese further rubbing salt to wound…