Du Meizhu, the woman who accused Chinese Canadian K-pop star Kris Wu of sexual assault, has received backlash after landing her first lead acting role.
In a Weibo post from an entertainment account on Sunday, Meizhu, 20, was confirmed to appear as the female lead opposite Chinese actor Li Yichen in “Young Female Genius Detective,” an upcoming Chinese web drama. Several other Weibo accounts also shared the casting news following the announcement.
“Since the Kris Wu incident, Du Meizhu did become popular for a bit. After all, it takes some skill to take down such a huge star,” the Weibo entertainment account noted.
The news seemingly cements the rumors last year that Meizhu was reportedly preparing to enter show business by going through some changes, including losing weight, dance practice and undergoing teeth corrective surgery.
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Some Weibo users criticized Meizhu, who reportedly studied acting in college, for her upcoming acting debut, accusing her of using the scandal to get into the industry.
One user accused the acting school graduate of “gaining fame from her ‘victim persona.'” Another user recalled Meizhu’s past purported comment, saying she “wanted to be an ordinary person and not enter showbiz.”
The scandal ignited on July 8, 2021, when Meizhu, 17 at the time, shared alleged screenshots exchanged between her and Wu, whose real name is Wu Yi Fan, on Weibo.
Several brands immediately terminated their partnerships with Wu after the news rocked China’s pop scene, including Bulgari, Kiehl’s, Lancome, L’Oréal and Porsche.
Days after the news blew up, police in Beijing’s Chaoyang District announced that they had detained Wu on suspicion of rape. The arrest of the former EXO member was seen as a rare victory for China’s #MeToo movement, and multiple women came forward to share their allegations of Wu’s inappropriate behavior following Meizhu’s revelation.
Fans rallied in support of Wu in late November 2022 after the Beijing Chaoyang Court sentenced the former K-pop idol to 13 years in jail for rape and group licentiousness.
