Fan Bingbing, a Chinese actress who is one of the highest paid actors in the world, is reportedly missing in the wake of her alleged involvement in a tax evasion scandal with the Chinese government. BBC reports that Bingbing has been utterly silent on social media since July 23, and has not made a public appearance since July 1.
In May, TV presenter Cui Yongyuan reportedly accused Fan Bingbing of tax evasion, but her studio has denied any wrongdoing on her behalf. Yongyuan later apologized for Bingbing for the accusation.
To make matters more mysterious, a Chinese newspaper ran a story reporting that Bingbing and her brother Fan Chengcheng had been banned from leaving the country as of Saturday. The story was unceremoniously dropped from the newsite shortly after.
Bingbing is an internationally renowned actress who recently topped Forbes’ list of best paid Chinese celebrities. Here’s what you need to know about her disappearance.
1. She Has Allegedly Been Accused of Tax Evasion by the Chinese Government
Bingbing has been accused of tax evasion with the Chinese government, after reportedly being the center of a debate within Chinese media over whether A-list Chinese celebrities are giving back enough of their earnings to the communist state.
Bingbing’s studio has reportedly denied all allegations that she hasn’t been truthful with her earnings, and has confirmed that the star and her team will be cooperative with authorities during the investigation.
2. She Hasn’t Been Active On Her Weibo Account Since July 23
Bingbing has a robust social media following across several social media channels, including her Sina Weibo microblog, an incredibly popular network in China where she has over 62 million followers.
According to BBC, Bingbing hasn’t been active on her Weibo since July 23, when she proceeded to “like” several posts without posting anything herself.
3. Many Fans Are Commenting On Her Most Recent Post & Asking For Her to Confirm
Fans have been commenting on Bingbing’s social media accounts across the board, asking her to confirm that she’s ok and reinforcing their love for her, too.
BBC reports that one fan wrote on Bingbing’s Weibo account, “We love you, Fan Bingbing,” while another wrote “We are waiting for an answer.”
On her Instagram page, one fan commented on Bingbing’s most recent Instagram posted on May 23, “What happened?? The news say you are arrested and in prison now?? Hope you are ok. ??”
Bingbing has not posted on her Twitter account since May 31, where she commented on Celine Dion’s “fascinating performance.”
4. Some Chinese Celebrities Have Been Alleged to be Using “Yin-Yang Contracts”, but Bingbing Has Denied This
The specific type of tax evasion that Bingbing is allegedly being accused of is the creation of “yin-yang contracts“, which are reportedly used by celebrities to evade taxes by signing two different contracts, one which shows the real amount of payment and one which shows a lesser amount of payment. The latter contract is then shown to the Chinese government so that the celebrity can pay less taxes.
Bingbing has not been proven to be involved with any tax evasion thus far. However, China’s tax bureau opened a case last month to specifically investigate Chinese celebrities and film companies who may have been involved in similar evasion practices.
5. She Has Reportedly Been Banned From Leaving Mainland China as of July 28
Perhaps the most mysterious part of Bingbing’s disappearance is that she was reportedly banned from leaving mainland China as of July 28, via reports by a Chinese newspaper, The Economic Observer, that were almost immediately taken down from the site.
This series of events has led some to speculate whether Bingbing or her brother has been taken by the government.
