Rumors of Fan Bingbing‘s disappearance have been greatly exaggerated. Or have they? Gossip has been circulating that Fan, China’s highest paid actress, may have been banned from acting. According to Variety, sources report that the ban is due to allegations of tax evasion and could last up to three years. While updates from Hong Kong news sanction the reports, the acting ban has yet to be confirmed by affiliates of the actress. Furthermore, Fan’s management firms (both locally and internationally) have refused to comment.
The speculation in question surrounds an ongoing investigation that involves implications of Fan getting paid on two separate contracts for the same film. The insinuation is that only one of the contracts would have been announced to tax authorities. Although Fan strongly denies the claims against her, Chinese powers initiated the scrutiny on her contracts nevertheless.
Given that Fan has been absent from any publicity exhibitions recently, fans are beginning to wonder if there is any merit to the accusations. Being a frequent poster on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, it is odd that she has not posted any updates since the scandal surfaced in July.
It is still unclear whether this ban will affect any of her projects abroad. The actress gained fame through various star-making roles in a number of movies and television shows in her home country, and she is likely best known in America for portraying the mutant Blink in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Her work on the Bliss Media film The King’s Daughter and her ongoing work on the film 355 (produced by and starring Jessica Chastain) could be in jeopardy if the ban stretches to the United States.
With bans historically being upheld on famed actors and directors, it is unclear what fate awaits Fan Bingbing if she is found guilty of the claims against her.
Leave a Comment