Chinese actor Jiang Mengjie applauded for speaking out about upskirting blackmail
By Ines Shin
Chinese actor Jiang Mengjie took to Weibo to share with her 8 million followers that she had been blackmailed for an explicit video taken without her permission.
On Wednesday, Jiang shared screenshots of the messages purportedly sent by the blackmailer, who threatened to send the video of her to leading film and TV companies.
The celebrity expressed to her fans that she felt “angry and disgusted, along with a feeling of powerlessness” upon seeing the footage of herself falling victim to upskirting, or the invasive act of taking photographs under someone’s skirt or dress without their consent.
Jiang became aware of the video, which she identified as being recorded “many years ago,” after her staff noticed strange comments on her posts. Later, a friend living overseas sent her the video.
The video has been widely shared on multiple websites and online groups, with over a million views, according to Jiang.
She admitted that she was initially advised to stay silent about the video as there were concerns that speaking out could make the situation worse. However, she ultimately decided to confront the matter head on.
Shortly after reporting the incident to the police, she was informed that the suspect had been detained and that she would be “notified in time of their punishment.”
Jiang shared that while gathering evidence, she discovered that the number of individuals who were secretly recorded “exceeded imagination.” While some of the perpetrators blackmailed individuals with those photos, others sold them for profit, she continued.
“As a public figure, maybe I can make more people pay attention to such vicious incidents by taking a stand,” she wrote.
“It is not our fault that we have been secretly photographed. Our lives should not be affected by this kind of thing.”
Jiang’s post has received over a million likes and has gained support from numerous netizens who commended her for taking a stand. They also left comments criticizing the blackmailer for their unacceptable actions.
“He should be ashamed… why does he think he can ruin someone for the rest of her life?” commented one user.
Another said, “Sisters should not suffer in silence when they encounter such a thing.”
In China, perpetrators detained for upskirting are typically sentenced to less than 10 days, resulting in many women wearing additional layers of clothing as a deterrent against these types of crimes.
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