Chinese news site offers ‘unreserved apology’ and retraction to over Zhang Ziyi prostitution claims
The US based Chinese news website Boxun News has reached a settlement with actress Zhang Ziyi, famous for high profile roles in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Here and Memoirs of a Geisha, after it published a series of articles claiming she had earned up to $100 million working as a prostitute in elite Chinese Government circles.
Zhang Ziyi
The newspaper has published an apology, a full retraction, and an acknowledgement that the stories were ‘negative and untrue’.
"In a series of articles published beginning in May 2012, Boxun News reported negative and untrue information about Chinese movie star Zhang Ziyi, including that she slept with wealthy and powerful men for presents and money. These false reports about Zhang Ziyi should never have been published,” the retraction read.
“As a result, Boxun News now renders its unreserved apology to Zhang Ziyi, has removed the entire series of articles about Zhang Ziyi from the Boxun News website, and issues this formal retraction. Boxun News regrets the publication of these articles and any distress Zhang Ziyi may have suffered as a result of the articles.
"The Boxun News reports about Zhang Ziyi were based on information provided to Boxun News by anonymous sources, who cannot support the information reported. Boxun News also failed to contact Zhang Ziyi before publishing the reports in order to enable her to respond to and refute the allegations. Boxun News now acknowledges that its reports were insupportable and improper, and that Zhang Ziyi has never been questioned in connection with any investigation related to the allegations set forth in the Boxun articles. Boxun News emphatically disavows any news reports to the effect that there is no basis to correct or retract the Boxun articles in question, or that any allegation regarding Zhang Ziyi set forth in those articles is true."
"Boxun News sincerely apologises to Zhang Ziyi for the damage it has caused to her reputation and career.”
Zhang Ziyi sought punitive damages due to the damage the articles had done to her career and reputation. The details of the financial settlement have not been disclosed.