Chinese pop star and fashion icon Cai Xukun (蔡徐坤) yesterday denied he had pressured a woman to have an abortion, but promised to change his behavior after being embroiled in a sex scandal that has taken China by storm.
A blogger last week claimed that Cai had a one-night stand with a woman referred to as “Ms C,” alleging that he coerced her into getting an abortion when he found out that she was pregnant.
The scandal has exploded in China, where celebrities are held to high moral standards, threatening Cai’s lucrative partnerships with major international brands, including Prada and Tag Heuer.
Photo: grab from Weibo of Cai
Music videos featuring Cai were unavailable yesterday on state broadcaster Chinese Central Television’s video streaming app, and a search for the star’s name yielded no results.
Breaking days of silence on the issue, Cai acknowledged having a relationship with Ms C that ended in 2021, adding that the two were no longer seeing each other.
“The relationship between Ms C and I was voluntary... It did not involve illegal activities,” Cai posted to his more than 38 million Weibo followers.
“I implore relevant independent media not to spread or believe rumors,” he said.
However, the singer added that he would change his behavior: “In the future, I will strictly constrain my words and actions, and accept public and societal supervision.”
Cai’s top global sponsors have not commented on the issue.
Signs of waning confidence emerged on Saturday, when a Chinese celebrity-focused advertising association urged clients to be aware of “risks” concerning a “male singer named Cai.”
“This incident is tending toward further hype and expansion,” a body under the Beijing Advertising Association said in a statement published on WeChat. It did not give Cai’s full name.
“Related brands, performance management firms and multi-channel network operators are requested to control risks of male singer Cai,” it said.
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