China’s Weibo Shuts Accounts Defending Kris Wu Allegations

Kris Wu. (Reuters)
Kris Wu. (Reuters)
TT
20

China’s Weibo Shuts Accounts Defending Kris Wu Allegations

Kris Wu. (Reuters)
Kris Wu. (Reuters)

China’s microblogging platform Sina Weibo on Monday closed 145 accounts, some of which had defended pop star Kris Wu over his rape allegations, for publishing what it called “information harmful for maintaining social order.”

Wu, a Chinese-Canadian pop star, was detained on July 31 for “deceiving young women multiple times into having sexual relations” with him, according to Beijing police. His arrest came after several women said they were plied with alcohol and then either pressured to have sex with him or sexually assaulted.

Some of the Weibo accounts which were shut down had previously defended such allegations against Wu, according to state-run media outlet Global Times.

It was not immediately clear how many of the 145 accounts were shut down for defending Wu. Several other celebrities, such as debater and media personality Ma Weiwei, also had their accounts suspended after they defended earlier allegations against Wu in 2016, and have since apologized for their actions, according to the Global Times.

Weibo, often described as China’s Twitter, said in a post published Monday that the 145 accounts were shut down for publishing harmful information related to current affairs, defined as anything from “spreading rumors, disrupting state order and undermining social stability” to “publishing negative information that breaks the bottom line of social morality and the system.”

The shutdown of Weibo accounts highlights how internet and social media platforms are required to strictly comply with content guidelines and censorship rules in China, where authorities dictate what can or cannot be published online.

Authorities in China are quick to censor keywords and search terms deemed politically sensitive or harmful to society, and internet platforms are expected to comply according to the law.

Certain search terms, such as the names of Chinese artist-activist Ai Weiwei or late Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, turn up no results when searched on platforms like Weibo.

The shutdown of accounts also come at a time when the Chinese government has tightened its grip over the internet and technology sector.

In recent months, authorities have implemented anti-monopoly rules and data privacy laws to curb unfair market practices and prevent companies from unfairly collecting and profiting off users’ data.



New Spielberg, Nolan Films Teased at CinemaCon

US actress Scarlett Johansson presents the film 'Jurassic World Rebirth' onstage during CinemaCon. VALERIE MACON / AFP
US actress Scarlett Johansson presents the film 'Jurassic World Rebirth' onstage during CinemaCon. VALERIE MACON / AFP
TT
20

New Spielberg, Nolan Films Teased at CinemaCon

US actress Scarlett Johansson presents the film 'Jurassic World Rebirth' onstage during CinemaCon. VALERIE MACON / AFP
US actress Scarlett Johansson presents the film 'Jurassic World Rebirth' onstage during CinemaCon. VALERIE MACON / AFP

Hollywood studio Universal Pictures on Wednesday teased new movies from Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan, while showcasing footage from its upcoming sequels "Jurassic World Rebirth" and "Wicked: For Good" at the CinemaCon event.

Spielberg "is currently shooting a film that promises to be a return to form, in the spirit of his monumental classics," said Universal executive Jim Orr, at the movie theater industry summit in Las Vegas.

The untitled film, out June 2026, is widely rumored to be a blockbuster sci-fi. Orr promised it would contain "a propulsive, modern, out-of-this-world twist," without sharing further details.

Meanwhile, Nolan is in the Mediterranean shooting his star-studded version of "The Odyssey," based on the millennia-old Ancient Greek epic saga written by Homer.

It is due July 2026, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, alongside Tom Holland, Zendaya and Anne Hathaway, AFP said.

In a prediction bold even by the standards of Hollywood marketing, Orr suggested the film "will be a once-in-a-generation cinematic masterpiece that Homer himself would, quite frankly, be very proud of."

The comments came at CinemaCon, an annual week-long summit at which Hollywood studios present their biggest upcoming movies to theater owners and press.

A theme of this year's event has been a drive to get studios to commit to keeping new movies in US theaters for at least 45 days before they appear on streaming.

A source with knowledge of the talks told AFP Wednesday that three of Hollywood's six biggest studios have committed.

Universal, which has in recent years brought many of its films to on-demand streaming very soon after they debut in theaters, has not yet agreed to the new 45-day "window," the source said. The studio did not immediately comment.

But its efforts to court movie theater owners Wednesday included showing extended new footage and A-list stars from the next Jurassic movie -- out this July.

It comes from the writer of the original 1993 "Jurassic Park." The action returns to that film's island setting.

Unlike the "Jurassic World" films where dinosaurs freely roamed the globe, the fearsome reptiles are now once again scarce, surviving in a few remote spots.

Star Scarlett Johansson said the film would "put the scares back into Jurassic" by keeping the dinosaurs hidden and ratcheting up the suspense.

Universal's presentation ended with surprise appearances from Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, whose second and final "Wicked" film will hit theaters November.

CinemaCon concludes Thursday with presentations from Paramount and Disney.